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BFOLOGY LIBRARY 



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NATURAL, HISTORY 



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BY JOHN BIGLAND, 

Author of " A View of the World,"" Letters on Universal History," &c. 



ILLUSTRATED BY TWELVE COLOURED PLATES, ENGRAVED 
FROM ORIGINAL DRAWINGS. 



PHILADELPHIA: 

GRIGG & ELLIOT, No. 9, NORTH FOURTH ST. 
1844. 



BIOLOGf 
LIBRARY 



Eastern District of Pennsylvania, to wit: 

****** BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the thirteenth day of June, in the 
*L. S.* fifty-second year of the independence of the United States of America, 
****** A. D. 1328, JOHN GRIGG, of the said district, has deposited in this 

office the title of a Book, the^right whereof he claims as Proprietor, in the words 

following, to wit : 

" A Natural History of Birds, Fishes, Reptiles, and Insects. By John Bigland, 
Author of ' A View of the World' Letters on Universal History,' &c. Illus- 
trated by twelve coloured plates, engraved mo/s*'y from original drawings." 

In Conformity to the Act of the Congress of the Imited States, entitled, "An 
Act for the encouragement of Learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts, 
and Books, to the Authors and Proprietors of such copies during the times there- 
in mentioned." And also to the Act entitled, "An Act supplementary to an Act, 
entitled ' An Act for the Encouragement of Learning, by securing the copies of 
Maps, Charts, and Books, to the Authors and Proprietors of such copies, during 
the times therein mentioned,' and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of 
designing, engraving, and etching, historical and other Prints." 

D. CALDWELL, Clerk of the 

Eastern District of Pennsylvania. 

BIOLOGY :2RARY 



T. J A- P.O. c'jLi>t,N/, 



-, * l 



PREFACE. 



THE study of Nature is the basis of Religion; and 
in the primitive ages of the world, previous to the 
epoch of revelation, mankind had no other guide 
to direct them to a knowledge of the existence and 
attributes of the Deity, than the contemplation of 
his works. These, indeed, exhibited such evident 
proofs of his power, his wisdom, and his goodness, 
as were sufficient to convince rational creatures, 
that a self-existent and infinite Being was the 
source and origin of all existence. This St. Paul 
so well understood, that he condemns the Gentiles, 
because, after having recognised the Supreme 
Being in the works of the creation, they neglected 
to worship him, and considers them as inexcus- 
able ; " Because," says he, " the invisible things of 
Him from the creation of the world are clearly 
seen, being understood by the things that are made, 
even his eternal power and Godhead." 

After the decision of so great an authority, the 
propriety of introducing the study of Natural His- 
tory into the system of juvenile education, can 
scarcely be called in question. It is, indeed, of the 
utmost importance, to exhibit to the youthful mind 
a view of the wonderful works of God, in order to 
inspire exalted notions of his essence, his attri- 
butes, and his agency, in the formation and dispo- 

M138443 



IV PREFACE. 

silion of the universe. This study is also both 
easy and entertaining, and appears congenial to 
the nature of man, in every stage of his life. The 
infant, on his first entrance into life, is naturally 
led to employ his opening faculties in observing 
the exterior appearances of the things which he 
perceives around him ; and as soon as he has ac- 
quired the use of speech, he desires to be informed 
of their qualities and uses. When grown to ma- 
turity, he sees himself placed in a boundless am- 
phitheatre, filled with an immense variety of ob- 
jects, which solicit his attention; but, through a 
want of previous instruction, is often lost and con- 
founded in the magnificence and multiplicity of 
those scenes which Nature presents to his view. 

That some knowledge of the system of Nature 
is necessary to all ranks of people, is a truth that 
cannot be contested. The gentleman, the trades- 
man, the farmer, the mechanic, ought to have such 
a general acquaintance with this science, as may 
give him an exalted idea of the Creator of the 
universe, or some general information of those 
parts of the animal, vegetable, and mineral king- 
doms, which furnish articles of important utility, in 
regard to food and clothing, manufactures and 
commerce. Without something of this kind of 
knowledge, a -person must often betray his igno- 
rance, and expose himself to ridicule. 

The greatest princes and philosophers have not 
thought the study of Natural History, unworthy 
their attention. Solomon, as the scripture informs 
us, " spake of trees, from the cedar-tree that is in 
Lebanon, even to the hyssop that springeth out of 



PREFACE. V 

the wall : he spake also of beasts, and of fowls, and 
of creeping things, and of fishes." Aristotle also 
wrote largely on these subjects : the most magnifi- 
cent and powerful of the kings of Israel, and the 
prince of the Grecian philosophers, made the 
knowledge of Nature one of the principal objects 
of their pursuit. 

The best mode of communicating useful instruc- 
tion, is to render it entertaining; arid youth seldom 
find any thing agreeable that appears in the form of 
a task. Systematic arrangements, however advan- 
tageous they may be to the professed naturalist, 
tend more frequently to embarrass than to inform 
the juvenile student, or the common reader. Vari- 
ous systems have been formed by naturalists, each 
of which has had its adherents ; while by others, 
it has been exploded as too close or too restrictive, 
too simple or too complex. The cause of this de- 
fect, and the difficulty of forming complete system- 
atic arrangements, is, that Nature has not attached 
so much importance to these distinctions as they 
have done, nor made them the uniform rules of her 
operations. Buffon, the great philosophical painter 
of Nature, conscious of the brilliant energies of 
his own expansive mind, affects to soar above whjxt 
he calls the trammels of system, and despises all 
artificial arrangements, saying, that " all our fami- 
lies and generations are made by ourselves, and 
not by Nature, which knows nothing of these dis- 
tinctions." The system of Linnaeus, which is con- 
sidered by naturalists as the most perfect of all 
those that have been invented, is a monument of 
the ingenuity and industry of that great man ; but 



vl PREFACE. 

appears too complex and artificial for common 
readers, or young students, whose circumstances, 
occupations, pursuits, and future prospects, do not 
permit them to make the study of Natural History 
the business of their lives. His arrangements seem 
also not sufficiently to coincide with the general 
ideas entertained on this subject; for although he 
classes the whale species with the human and quad- 
ruped race, merely on account of the conformity 
of their teeth, and the circumstance of being fur- 
nished with pectoral teats, this classification will 
never prevent the whale from being considered as 
a fish, rather than a beast, by the generality of 
mankind. His distinctions also, being chiefly found- 
ed on the number of teeth, do not seem sufficiently 
obvious to be useful to the generality of readers. 
The classing of the elephant with the armadillo, 
of the cat and the hedgehog with the bear, and of 
the horse with the rhinoceros and the common 
hog, produces such combinations as, we may with- 
out hazard assure ourselves, will never be long re- 
membered by young students, amidst the multipli- 
city of other pursuits. 

To disseminate the knowledge of animated na- 
ture among all ranks of people, the easiest method, 
and that which is certainly best adapted to the 
general ideas of mankind, is, to range the different 
orders according to their visible resemblance to 
some well-known animal, which exhibits a charac- 
teristic distinction, obvious at the first sight, with- 
out burdening the memory with artificial systems, 
and scientific discriminations. 

If this work had been designed for the use of 



PREFACE. V11 

thc~^ who make the knowledge of Natural His- 
tory the principal object of their pursuit, the Lin- 
noean system would certainly have been adopted 
and strictly adhered to: but it is calculated for 
students of a different description ; for those who, 
without having leisure to devote themselves wholly 
to the study of this science, would not wish to be 
totally ignorant of the world in which they live. 
To instruct the youthful mind, in regard to the 
most important subjects of inquiry in the system 
of Nature, so far as regards the quadruped race, 
is the avowed design of this undertaking; and in- 
deed, a volume of so small a size cannot be sup- 
posed to be intended for the use of the professed 
naturalist. Without, therefore, pretending to criti- 
cise the works of other writers on this subject, or 
to depreciate their merit, which in many is con- 
spicuous, it will not be amiss to say something of 
the manner in which it is here treated. 

In the first place, a general view is given of the 
quadruped part of creation, as being next in rank to 
man, the masterpiece of the terrestrial world. After 
this general survey, in proceeding to individual de- 
scription, the most striking and interesting objects 
of the animal kingdom are delineated; the creatures 
which are peculiarly curious in their conformation 
or habits, and especially those which are most 
formidable or most beneficial to man, are particu- 
larly selected and described. Those of general 
utility or the greatest commercial importance, and 
those which frequently occur in conversation or 
reading, in the relations of travellers, and in the 



Vlli PREFACE. 

sacred or classical writings, are considered as the 
most interesting subjects of investigation. 

The arrangement exhibited in the table of con- 
tents, appears best adapted to general ideas, and 
easiest to comprehend and remember ; and as the 
book is designed for the use of both sexes, the 
greatest care has be^en taken to avoid a fault with 
which performances of this kind too often abound. 
Indecorous expressions, and every thing that has a 
tendency to vitiate juvenile ideas, have been care- 
fully avoided; and the whole is interspersed with 
religious and moral reflections. The whole design 
of the work is, to convey to the juvenile mind, by 
an agreeable mode of communication, as much 
important information on the subject of animal 
history, as can be comprised in a volume of so 
small a size; arid this will, perhaps, be found to be 
as much, as the generality of young persons will 
have leisure to attain. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

Fan 
General view of the Quadruped race, ......... 13 

CHAPTER II. 
On th6 Horse The different breeds of Horses, .--.-. 15 

CHAPTER III. 

The Ass Manner of hunting Wild Asses the Mule Zebra, - 21 

CHAPTER IV. 

The Ox different breeds of horned cattle Reflections on their 
Utility and Value, 27 

CHAPTER V. 

The Urus, or wild bull the Bison Zebu Grunting Ox Buffalo, 32 

CHAPTER VI. 

The Sheep different breeds and species Reflections, - - - 37 

CHAPTER VII. 

The Goat the Mufflon Common Goat Ibex Chamois Goat 
Goat of Angora Syrian Goat, ----------- 43 

CHAPTER VIII. 
The Gazelles, or Antelopes different species, 48 

CHAPTER IX. 

The Deer Stag Fallow-DeerRoebuck Elk Rein-Deer 
Reflections and interesting Anecdotes of the Rein-Deer Mode 
of travelling among the Laplanders, --------- 53 

CHAPTER X. 
The Musk Nyl-ghau Cameleopard, 59 

CHAPTER XI. 

The Camel- Mode of travelling with Camels The Dromedary 
Lama Pacos, ----------__.__. 62 

CHAPTER XII. 

The Hog Wild Boar Manner of hunting the Wild Boar Pec- 
. cary Barbgrousa, --------------- 68 



X CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XIII. 

Page 

The Elephant Its wonderful sagacity, and commercial import- 
ance Manner of hunting and taming the Elephant, - - - 72 

CHAPTER XIV. 
The Rhinoceros 81 

CHAPTER XV. 
The Hippopotamus The long-nosed Tapiir, ------ 85 

CHAPTER XVI. 

The Cat Kind, in general the Common Cat the Wild Cat, - 88 

CHAPTER XVII. 

The Ocelot Margay Serval Conguar Black Tiger Lynx 
Caracal Yaguar Ounce Leopard Panther, ----- 93 

CHAPTER XVIII. 
The Tiger Tigress, 100 

CHAPTER XIX. 

The Lion Manner of hunting the Lion Reflections on the System 
of Prey among Animals the Wisdom of Divine Providence, 103 

CHAPTER XX. 

The Dog different breeds of Dogs Shepherd's Dog Cur Dog 
Greenland Dog Manner of travelling with Dogs in Kamtschatka 
Bull-Dog Mastiff Coach-Dog Irish Wolf-DogHighland 
Grey-Hound Common Grey-Hound Beagle Harrier Fox- 
Hound English Setter Spapish Pointer Water-Spaniel 
Springer Comforter Turnspit Pug-Dog RougL Water-Dog 
New-Zealand Dog Newfoundland Dog Blood-Hound, - w 111 

CHAPTER XXI. 
The Wolf the Fox, 124 

CHAPTER XXII. 

The furry Animals the Pine Weasel Martin Ermine Sable 
Description of Sable-hunting in the Deserts of Siberia, - - 129 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

Animals of the Weasel Kind General Characteristics the Com- 
mon Weasel Foumart, or Pole-cat Ichneumon Fossant 

Skunk Zorilla Genet Civet Zibet Glutton Raccoon 

Badger, 133 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

The Bear Kind the Common Bear Polar, or Great White Bear 
Animals of the Scaly and Prickly Kinds The Porcupine 
Hedgehog Armadillo Pangolin Phatagin the Sloth, - 141 



CONTENTS. XI 

CHAPTER XXV. 
The Hare the Rabbit. 150 

CHAPTER XXVI. 

The Squirrel Kind the Common Squirrel Flying Squirrel Jer- 
boa Kangaroo Kangaroo Rat, ---------- 153 

CHAPTER XXVII. 

Animals of the Rat Kind the Great Rat Black Rat Marmot 
Leming,or Lapland Marmot Mouse Mole Opossum Flying 
Opossum, ------------------ 157 

CHAPTER XXVIII. 

Animals of the Ape and Monkey Kind General Remarks the 
Ourang Outang Long-armed Ape Baboon Great Ribbed- 
nosed Baboon Pig-tailed Baboon Dog-faced Baboon Ma- 
caque Red Monkey Green Monkey Talapoin Mona 
Mico, 165 

CHAPTER XXIX. 

Amphibious Quadrupeds the Otter Sea-Otter Bearer Wal- 
rus, or Sea-Horse Seal, ------------- 173 

CHAPTER XXX. 

Animals of the Bat Kind Remarks the Common Bat Great 
Bat of Ternate and Madagascar Spectre-Bat, 182 

CHAPTER XXXI. 

Concluding Reflections, --..-........ j$5 



LEOPARD, to face the vignette title. 
Fox, vignette title. 

Page 

HORSE, to face 15 

ZEBRA, 25 

f BUFFALO, 34 

BEER, 53 

ELEPHANT, 72 

TIGER, 1 00 

LION, 103 

NEWFOUNDLAND DOG, 121 

1 BEAR, 142 

SQUIRREL and BEAVER, 154 



NATURAL HISTORY OF ANIMALS. 



CHAPTER I. 

" Out of the ground uprose,' 
As from his lair, the wild beast, where he wons 
In forest wild, in thicket, brake, or den, 
Among the trees ; in pairs they rose, they walk'd, 
The cattle in the fields and meadows green." MILTON. 

IN taking a survey of the animal kingdom, there is opened to 
the view an extensive field for observation, in which curiosity 
may have an ample range, and receive continual gratification 
without finding its source exhausted. Before entering on the 
individual description of the different species of quadrupeds, it 
may be requisite to exhibit them in a general view. 

If we descend by regular gradations, from man, the master- 
piece of the terrestrial world, we must, for many reasons, assign 
to the quadruped part of .the creation the second rank. Whether 
we direct our attention to the structure of their bodies, or their 
various and wonderful instincts, to their ability to render us ser- 
vice, or their power to injure us, we cannot but consider them 
as prominent and interesting objects of curiosity. The internal 
conformation in quadrupeds is strikingly analogous to that of 
man ; and the general anatomy of the monkey race bears so 
great a resemblance to that of the human species, that it re- 
quires some skill in physiology to make the discrimination. 
Their instincts seem also sometimes to approximate to the rea- 
soning faculty, and to exhibit an appearance of something like 
the human passions. Some of them seem to imitate, or even to 
rival us, in our most tender affections. What human attach- 
ment can exceed that of the dog to his master ? He accompa- 
nies him with constancy, guards his property with attention and 
fidelity, and defends his person with courage and zeal. lie is 
eager to obtain his caresses, and docile in obeying his commands. 
If he has the misfortune to incur his displeasure, he seeks every 
means to be restored to his favour : he testifies emotion and 
anxiety at his absence, and is transported with joy at his return. 
Among mankind friendship cannot be more energetically ex- 
pressed, but is often accompanied with less sincerity. In a num- 
ber of other quadrupeds, the operations of instinct are equally 
remarkable and striking. The mischievous cunning of the 

B 



Vi ; . lN|TR6l>UCTORY CHAPTER 

monkey, the provident foresight of the beaver, the sagacity of 
the elephant, excite our astonishment. What can equal the 
subtle artifices of predaceous animals, in seeking and catching 
their prey, or those of the weaker and more timid, in eluding 
the pursuits of the strong and ferocious ? In this, as in all other 
things, we discover the wisdom of the Creator. Did not the 
weaker animals use as many means of self-preservation, as the 
stronger employ for their destruction, the former would soon be 
exterminated, and the latter would afterwards perish for want 
of subsistence. Animals, in their original state of wildness and 
independence, are subject to few alterations ; but those which 
are subdued, and domesticated by man, undergo through his 
management considerable changes, both in their figure and dis- 
positions. In the horse, the cow, and several other domestic 
animals, we perceive a number of varieties, some of which, in- 
deed, are the effects of nature, but more of them produced by 
art or cultivation. The circumstances of soil and climate have 
also a decided and well-known influence on the animal race, 
in varying their size, their colour, or their covering. In the 
hyperborean regions, Nature has furnished the quadruped cre- 
ation with long and thickly planted hair, but with a lighter 
and cooler vesture between the tropics ; and those which are 
capable of being transported from the extreme of cold to that 
of heat, or the contrary, are found upon experiment to assume 
a dress adapted to the climate, a circumstance which shows the 
wisdom of Providence, in providing for the necessities o? all 
creatures. On the disposition and character of animals, the 
influence of climate is very perceptible, and more easily ascer- 
tained in regard to the brute creation, than the human species. 
Man is so much the creature of association, imitation, and habit, 
and so powerfully influenced by moral causes, as to render it 
impossible to determine in what degree he is affected, or how 
far his character is formed by those of a physical nature. Ex- 
ternal impressions are sensibly felt by every thing that has life, 
and both rational and irrational beings must in a greater or less 
degree be subject to their influence. If, hcwever, in man the 
effects of situation, and other physical circumstances, be diffi- 
cult to distinguish from those of social institution and moral 
habits, this difficulty does not exist in a view of the brute crea- 
tion ; and the effects of climate and aliment are unequivocal ; 
for between the tropics the same kind of animals are extremely 
different from what they are in temperate climates ; in the former 
they are more ferocious and daring, in the latter more timid 
and mild. 

After this general survey, we will endeavour to vary the scene 
by proceeding to individual description, in which we will find 



THE HORSE. 15 

hese remarks exemplified, and recalled to the memory. The 
number of distinct species, in the class of quadrupeds, is usually 
stated at about two hundred, or two hundred and twenty. Late 
authors have enumerated two hundred and eighty, and some 
have even sub-divided them into upwards of four hundred ; for 
in these cases distinctions may be multiplied according to opinion 
or fancy. In proceeding to a more minute investigation of the 
different species of quadrupeds, we shall endeavour rather to 
generalize, than enumerate, and, without entering into tedious 
details, exhibit the great and marked outlines of their history, 
with which every gentleman ought to be acquainted. In the 
view of uniting pleasure with instruction, and agreeable amuse- 
ment with useful information, we shall bring forward such ob- 
jects as will most evidently display the power, the wisdom, and 
the goodness of the great Author of Nature, whose omnipotent 
word called the universe into existence. 



CHAPTER II. 
THE HORSE. 

" Hast thou given the horse his strength, hast thou clothed his neck 
with thunder ?" JOB, chap, xxxix. ver. 19. 

AMID that interesting variety of quadrupeds which Nature 
presents to view, or provides for our use, the great and well- 
known utility and various excellencies of the Horse, give him 
unrivalled precedency, in a view of tJ brute creation. 

Of the numerous species of animals, which Infinite Wisdom 
has ordained to inhabit this terraqueous globe, some are found 
to alarm us by their terrific appearance, to endanger our safety 
by their ferocious disposition, and exercise our caution in avoid- 
ing their attacks ; others, on the contrary, evidently appear to 
have been created to delight us by their beauty, or increase our 
comforts by their utility. This noble quadruped, without having 
any of the formidable qualities of the former, possesses all the 
excellencies of the latter, uniting in his form grandeur of stature, 
and elegance of symmetry, to gracefulness of motion, and is, 
above all, estimable for his peculiar and diversified utility. When 
ranging wild, and without control, he is not ferocious ; and in 
his domestic state he is generous and docile, and, although 
spirited, yet obedient to rule. Equally adapted to the purposes 
of business and pleasure, he affords us the most essential ser- 
vices, and contributes to our most healthful amusements. Horses 



16 THE ARABIAN HORSE. 

are now bred in almost all countries ; but there are few m which 
this noble animal is seen in possession of his native freedom, 
unsubdued by man : it is only in the vast and uncultivated plains 
of Africa and Arabia, and in some parts of South America, that 
he is to be found in a state of native independency. In those 
wild and extensive tracts, wild horses may be seen in droves of 
five or six hundred, feeding together, while one of the number 
is always observed to be posted at the outside, and acting the 
part of a sentinel, in order to give notice of any approaching 
danger. When any such seems to threaten, he gives the alarm 
by a loud snort, and the whole herd fly off with amazing rapidity. 
The wild horses of Arabia are esteemed the most beautiful of 
the whole species. They are generally of a brown colour, with 
a black mane and tail of short tufted hair. In size and bone 
they are, for the most part, inferior to the tame breed, but ex- 
ceedingly active arid swift. The common method of taking 
them is by snare and pitfalls, formed in the ground. The wild 
horses, now so numerous in some parts of America, especially 
in Paraguay, Patagonia, and La Plata, were originally of the 
Spanish breed, and were carried thither, and turned into the woods, 
by the first Spanish settlers. The astonishment which the Mexi- 
cans, the most polished and intelligent of all the Americans, 
manifested at the sight of horses, convinced the Spaniards that 
this animal was totally unknown on that continent, and induced 
them to carry numbers thither, not only for their immediate use, 
but also to propagate a breed. Since that time, they have mul- 
tiplied so much as to range in numerous herds through those 
extensive countries. They are difficult to take, but if once taken 
are easily tamed, and soon learn to know their master ; and if 
they be by any means set at liberty, they are easily caught again, 
not shewing any inclination to return to their former state of 
wildness a circumstance which evinces a remarkable tractable 
ness of disposition in this noble and useful animal. 

The Horse is so well known, that it is entirely needless to give 
a particular description of his shape and exterior appearance. 
It will be sufficient, to exhibit to view the principal distinctions 
which nature has made in the different breeds of this noble 
quadruped, through the influence of climate and other accidental 
circumstances. For this purpose, we shall commence with 

THE ARABIAN HORSE. 

Of all the people in the world, the Arabians set the greatest 
value on horses ; and almost every Arabian, how poor soever 
he may be in other respects, possesses at least one horse. They 
are particularly fond of mares for riding, as they find them to 
bear hunger and thirst better than horses, besides being less 



THE ARABIAN HORSE. . 17 

vicious. The Turks, on the contrary, esteeming horses the 
most, purchase those which are not kept for stallions. The 
Arabians are exceedingly careful of the breed of their horses, 
which, instead of crossing, as is generally practised in other 
countries, they take particular care to preserve pure and un- 
mixed. They know their generations, with all their alliances 
and ramifications, and preserve for an amazing length of time, 
the genealogies of their horses, with as much care as the no- 
bility of other countries do those of their families. The lowest 
price for a mare, of the first class, is from one hundred to two 
or three hundred pounds sterling. It is, therefore, no wonder, 
that they should be sold for exceeding high prices, when carried 
into foreign and far distant countries. Horses form the principal 
riches of many of the Arab tribes, who use them both in the 
chase, and in their plundering expeditions. They never beat 
them, but always treat them with the utmost kindness. The 
Arab, his wife, and children, lie in the same apartment with the 
mare and foal, who, instead of injuring, suffer the children to 
rest on their bodies and necks, and even seem afraid to move 
lest they should hurt them. 

The fondness and tender attachment, which the Arabs have 
for their horses, are well illustrated by the following anecdote, 
related by the Chevalier D'Arvieux in his Travels in the Desert 
of Arabia, and also in St. Pierre's Studies of Nature : " The 
whole stock of a poor Arabian consisted of a beautiful mare, 
which the French consul, at Said, offered to purchase, with in- 
tention to send her to Louis XIV. The Arab, pressed by want, 
hesitated a long time, but, at length, consented, on condition of 
receiving a very considerable sum of money, which he named. 
The consul wrote to France for permission to close the bargain, 
and having obtained it, sent immediately to the Arab the infor- 
mation. The man, so poor as to possess only a miserable rag, 
a covering for his body, arrived with his magnificent courser. 
He dismounted, and looking first at the gold, and then stedfastly 
at his mare, heaved a deep sigh: ' To whom is it, (he ex- 
claimed) that I am going to yield thee up? To Europeans! who 
will tie thee close ; who will beat thee ; who will render theo 
miserable ! Return with me, my beauty, my jewel ! and rejoice 
the hearts of my children !' As he pronounced the last words, 
he sprang upon her back, and was out of sight almost in a 
moment." 

Arabia seems to have been the parent country of horses, 
whence they have probably spread into BaFbary, and other parts 
of Africa, which produce a breed that is considered next to the 
Arabian in swiftness and beauty, although somewhat inferior in 

B2 



18 .THE RACE-HORSEHUNTER. 

size. From the last mentioned countries they have probably 
made their way into every part of the old continent. 

The Spanish horses are also held in high estimation ; they are 
small but beautiful, extremely swift, and full of spirit. Those 
of India and China are extremely small and vicious. One of 
these, brought into this country as a present to her majesty, was 
little larger than a large mastiff, measuring only nine hands. 

Of all the nations of Europe, the English have, during a long 
time, paid the greatest attention to the improvement of their 
horses, by the introduction of the most valuable mares and 
stallions of different kinds, and by a judicious mixture of differ- 
ent breeds. That which is held in the highest estimation, is 

THE RACE HORSE. 

The breed of English race horses is superior to that of any 
other country in Europe, or, perhaps, in the world. For a long 
course they excel those of every other part of the globe, and 
none can surpass them in swiftness. The celebrated Childers, 
the property of his grace the Duke of Devonshire, was univer- 
sally allowed to be the fleetest horse ever bred in the world. He 
ran repeatedly at Newmarket against the best racers of his time, 
and was never beaten. He passed over eighty-two feet and a 
half in a second of time, and has run round the course at New- 
market, which is very nearly four miles, in six minutes and forty 
seconds an instance of speed never exhibited by any other 
quadruped of any species whatever. 

THE HUNTER 

Is that which particularly shows the successful attention of the 
English, in the judicious management of their horses, by which 
they have skilfully combined the swiftness of one race with the 
strength of others. By this judicious method, they have pro- 
duced the English hunter; and this breed is indisputably the 
most useful of any in the world. Their spirit, agility, and perse- 
verance, are qualities which render them extremely valuable, 
whether for the chase or for travelling ; and most of the posting 
on the great roads, is now carried on by this active and useful 
race. 

Though nature appears to have implanted a benevolent dis- 
position in the horse towards man, yet, that he is not unconscious 
of injuries, nor devoid of resolution to revenge them, is exem- 
plified in the following incident : A baronet, one of whose hunters 
had never tired in tke longest chase, once encouraged the cruel 
thought of attempting, completely, to fatigue him. Aftei a long 
chace, therefore, he dined, and again mounting, rode him furi- 



THE BLACK DRAUGHT HORSE. 19 

ously among the hills. When brought to the stable, his strength 
appeared exhausted, and he was scarcely able to walk. The 
groom, possessed of more feeling than his brutal master, could 
not refrain from tears at the sight of so noble an animal thus 
sunk down. The baronet, some time after, entered the stable, 
and the horse made a furious spring upon him, and, had not the 
groom interfered, would soon have put it out of his power ever 
again to misuse his animals. 

Hunters are sent over from England to almost every part of 
the continent, particularly to Russia and Germany. They are 
sold there for very high prices, as their superiority over all other 
horses is universally known and acknowledged. 

While the beauty, the elegance, the activity, and strength, of 
the race horse and the hunter, combined with the most wonder- 
ful tractableness of disposition, willingness of exertion, and sub- 
missive obedience, are excellencies which give to these noble 
quadrupeds a decided pre-eminence in the animal creation, it 
must be a subject of regret to the feeling mind, that those valu- 
able qualities should be so frequently abused, and such extraor- 
dinary power exhausted in the most useless exertions. 

THE BLACK DRAUGHT HORSE. 

This breed of horses surpasses in strength all others that any 
country has produced. The largest of this sort are found in the 
fens of Lincolnshire. Instances have been known, of a single 
horse of this breed drawing, for a short distance, the weight of 
three tons. A great part of the British cavalry are mounted 
on horses of this kind : in some regiments, those of a lighter 
make are used. The old black coach-horse is now almost uni- 
versally set aside ; instead of which, a more active and lighter 
kind is used in our carriages. It is pleasing to observe, that the 
pretension to mend Nature's work by docking the tail, a prac- 
tice offensive to humanity, and replete with absurdity, begins 
now to be unfashionable, while we must still regret the continu- 
ance of the custom of forming it by nicking, which is equally 
cruel and useless, as it gives to the horse no real, but only a 
fancied ornament. 

The ponies of Wales, and those bred in the highlands of 
Scotland, seem to be an original and unmixed race. Both kinds 
are much esteemed for the neatness of their shapes, and the 
agility of their motion, but still more for their vigour in sup- 
porting fatigue, as well as for being exceedingly sure-footed in 
difficult roads ; qualities well adapted to the mountainous tracts 
of which they are natives. 

It is very probable, that the horse was not originally a native 
of this island ; but at what time, or from what part of the con- 



20 THE BLACK DRAUGHT HORSE. 

tinent, this noble quadruped was first introduced, history does 
not inform us. We learn, however, from the Commentaries of 
Julius Caesar, that horses were plentiful in this country at the 
time of his invasion ; and although that celebrated commander 
has not given us any description of their kind and shape, his 
narrative aifords a sufficient proof of their activity and disci- 
pline, when used in the war-chariots of the Britons. 

We cannot dismiss this article, without making some reflec- 
tions on the wisdom and goodness of Divine Providence, in 
creating an animal of such singular utility to the human species. 
If we rightly consider the difficulties of our situation, if the 
the goodness of Providence had not provided us the assistance 
of the horse, we shall find that the obstacles we should in many 
cases have met with, would have been almost insurmountable. 
The want of horses was one of the principal causes which ren- 
dered the natives of the new world so much inferior to their 
European invaders ; and the decided superiority of the Span- 
iards over the Mexicans, was owing, almost, as much to their 
horses as to their fire-arms. Indeed, the want of horses would 
always have operated as a check to the advancement of the 
American nations in the process of civilization, and have al- 
ways kept them, with respect to the arts, both of war and peace, 
in a state of inferiority to the Europeans. Next to the want of 
iron, the want of horses is, perhaps, one of the greatest physical 
obstacles to the advancement of the arts of civilized life. We 
ought, therefore, to regard the Horse as an inestimable gift of 
the bountiful Creator, and treat him, not with neglect, nor with 
cruelty, but with attention and kindness, not only while he is able 
to perform our work, or be conducive to our pleasures, but even 
after age or accident may have disqualified him for further ser- 
vice. The exercise of wanton cruelty upon any of God's crea- 
tures, is an act of impiety towards their Creator ; but the ill 
treatment of such as are given us for the purpose of promoting 
our conveniency and comfort, bears the additional stamp of foul 
ingratitude to the all-bountiful Donor. 



( 21 ) 
CHAPTER III. 
THIS ASS. 

" Who hath sent out the wild ass free, or who hath loosed the bands 
of the wild ass? Whose house I have made the wilderness, and the bar- 
ren land his dwellings. He scorneth the multitude of the city, neither 
regardeth he the crying of the driver. The range of the mountains is 
his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing." JOB, xxxix. 

WE will now turn our attention to an animal of a somewhat 
plainer form, and less distinguished rank in the order of quad- 
rupeds, and of much less value in the estimation of mankind, 
than the horse, although, in many respects, but little inferior in 
utility. The Ass was, according to the most probable conjec- 
ture, as well as the horse, originally a native of Arabia and the 
adjacent countries ; and the supposition is not a little corrobo 
rated by the congeniality of a warm climate to its constitution. 
Aristotle says, that, in his time, there were no asses in Scythia, 
nor in the adjoining countries, nor even in Gaul (France,) which 
he calls a cold country. He further assures us, that a cold cli- 
mate always causes them to degenerate, and this opinion is con- 
firmed by the experience of modern times ; for the asses, bred 
in this country, are very far inferior in size, beauty, strength, and 
activity, to those of Spain, and other warm countries. The de- 
serts of Africa, and some of the islands of the Archipelago, 
contain large herds of wild asses, which run with such swiftness, 
that the fleetest horses are scarcely equal to the pursuit ; and 
they are hunted for their flesh, which, by the natives, is esteemed 
excellent food. The flesh of the tame ass, however, is coarser 
and more disagreeable than that of the horse ; but its milk is 
esteemed an excellent remedy for many disorders, especially the 
consumption. In their native state, asses live in separate herds, 
consisting of a chief, and several mares and colts, sometimes to 
the number of twenty. They are very fearful and vigilant. A 
male takes on him the care of the herd, and is always on the 
watch. If they see a hunter, who, by creeping along the ground, 
has got near them, the sentinel, apprehensive of danger, takes 
a great circuit, and goes round and round him. As soon as the 
animal is satisfied, he rejoins the herd, which sets off with great 
precipitation. Their senses of hearing and smelling are most 
exquisite, so that they cannot be approached without great diffi- 
culty. The food of the wild asses is the saltest plants of the 
desert, as the kali and chenopodium ; and for drink, they even 
prefer salt water to fresh. 

Asses were not, any more than horses, originally found in 



22 THE ASS. 

America, although the climate, in some parts of that continent, 
is as congenial to their nature as that of Asia or Africa. Those 
which the Spaniards carried thither from Europe have greatly 
multiplied, and, in some parts, run wild, and are taken in snares, 
like the wild horses. The manner of hunting the wild asses, in 
Quito, is this : A number of Spaniards, or Creoles, on horse- 
back, attended by Indians on foot, form a large circle, in order 
to drive them into a narrow compass. Then, riding at full speed, 
they throw a noose over them, and having secured them with 
cords, leave them until the chase be over, which sometimes lasts 
three or four days. These asses have all the swiftness of horses, 
and neither declivities nor precipices will stop their flight. When 
attacked, they defend themselves by kicking and biting, without 
ever slackening their pace. From this description of the ass- 
chase, given by a celebrated Spanish writer, it seems that hunt- 
ing the wild horses and asses, in South America, must afford 
better pastime to a sportsman, than hunting the hare or the fox 
in Europe. 

It is very remarkable, that the wild asses, when taken, after 
carrying their first load, lose their dangerous ferocity, and soon 
contract the stupid look and dullness which we observe in the 
rest of the species. It is also observable, that they will not 
suffer a horse to live among them. If a horse happens to stray 
into a place where a herd of them is grazing, they all fall upon 
him, and bite and kick him to death. 

Even in the tame state, the ass will occasionally manifest great 
courage, and even fierceness. Mr. Pennant tells us, that he 
was witness, at les combats des animaux, the theatre, or bear- 
garden of Paris, to an extraordinary instance of spirit and prow- 
ess in a tame ass, in a fight with a dog. The latter could never 
seize on the long-eared beast, which sometimes caught the dog 
in his mouth, and sometimes threw him under his knees, and 
kneeled on him, until the dog at length fairly gave up the contest. 

History informs us, that there were no asses in England, in 
the reign of Queen Elizabeth, so that their introduction into 
this country is of recent date. In Persia, there are two sorts 
of asses ; one slow and heavy, used for carrying burdens, the 
other elegant in shape, and alert in motion, and kept for the 
saddle. Some of these are sold as high as forty or fifty pounds. 
Of all the countries of Europe, Spain possesses the best breed 
of asses : some of them are from fifteen to sixteen hands high ; 
and they have been known to sell for a hundred guineas each, 
and upwards. 

But the asses of Egypt and Arabia excel even those of Spain, 
in the gracefulness of their movements, and the nobleness of 
their carriage. Their foot is sure, their step light, and their paces 



THE ASS. 23 

quick, brisk, and easy. They are used for riding by the most 
opulent of the inhabitants, and even ladies of the highest rank. 

When the rider alights, he has no occasion to fasten his ass ; 
he merely pulls the rein of the bridle tight, and passes it over a 
ring on the fore-part of the saddle : this confines the animal's 
head, and is sufficient to make him remain patiently in his place. 

Of an animal so well known as the ass, a particular descrip- 
tion is unnecessary. Every one is acquainted with his unparal- 
leled patience, perseverance, and gentleness. He is more slug- 
gish and untractable, but stronger in proportion to his size, than 
the horse, and liable to fewer diseases ; and of all the different 
kinds of quadrupeds, the least infested with lice, or any other 
vermin. The ass is kept at a very moderate expense, and con 
tents himself with the coarsest herbage ; but is particularly fond 
of plantain. He is, however, extremely nice in the choice of 
his water, and will drink only at the clearest stream. He is much 
afraid of wetting his feet, and will, even when loaded, turn aside 
to avoid the dirty parts of the road. He sleeps less than the 
horse, and never lies down for that purpose, except when ex- 
tremely fatigued. He is three or four years in coming to per- 
fection, and lives to the age of twenty or twenty-five years. The 
she-ass goes eleven months with young. The skin of the ass is 
valuable, and is converted to different purposes ; as to cover 
drums, and sometimes to make shoes, as also a thick kind of 
parchment, useful for pocket-books. Of the ass's skin, the Ori- 
entals make the sagri, which we call shagreen. 

From this view, we shall probably conceive a higher opinion 
of the utility and importance of the ass, than we have generally 
been accustomed to form. We readily perceive, that if he be 
too often degraded into the most neglected of domestic animals, 
it is not for any deficiency in useful and valuable qualifications, 
but merely through the caprice of those who are not able to ap- 
preciate his worth. The ass was held in high estimation by the 
Israelites ; and the forty sons of Abdon, judge, or chief magis- 
trate of Israel, riding on asses, is mentioned in the scripture as 
a mark of high distinction, and a display of superior grandeur. 
These ancients seem to have known this noble, although unjustly 
degraded quadruped, better than we do at the present day. Their 
judgment was, in this respect, better, and their taste certainly 
more refined, than that of those barbarians among us, who beat, 
abuse, and treat him with all manner of ill-usage, merely be- 
cause he is an ass, without considering how much We should es- 
teem his excellent and useful qualifications, and how glad we 
should be of his services, if the Creator, in the exuberance of 
his bounty, had not given us the horse. Let these considerations 



24 THE MULE. 

excite in our minds a sentiment of compassion and benevolence 
towards this inoffensive and useful animal. 

The Mule is an exceedingly hardy and useful animal, but not 
a distinct species, being the offspring of the horse and the ass. 
This quadruped is remarkably healthy, and lives above thirty 
years. In Spain, persons of the first quality are frequently 
drawn by mules, which are held in such estimation, that fifty or 
sixty pounds is a common price for one of the best. This is not 
surprising, when their utility in mountainous countries is well 
considered ; for they are, beyond comparison, more sure-footed 
than horses, and a person may travel with them in perfect secu- 
rity in roads, where, to venture on horseback, would bring in- 
evitable destruction. Their manner of descending the precipices 
of the Alps, and the mountains of Spanish America, is extremely 
singular. In these difficult and dangerous passages, the road 
frequently lies between perpendicular or overhanging rocks on 
one side, and frightful precipices on the other, from which, to 
look down into the immense abyss below, is sufficient to strike 
the traveller with terror and stupefaction ; and the narrow path, 
winding along the side of the mountains, is in many places in- 
terrupted with steep declivities of several hundred yards. These, 
no horses whatever, can descend : mules are the only beasts of 
burthen that are equal to the task. When they arrive at the brink 
of one of those almost perpendicular descents, they stop short 
without any check from the rein, and continue some time im- 
moveable, seeming to ruminate on the danger before them, 
trembling, snorting, and attentively viewing the road. Having 
thus prepared themselves for the descent, they place their fore- 
feet in a posture adapted to prevent a too great precipitancy, 
and put their hind-feet together, drawing them a little forward. 
In this attitude they slide down with great swiftness and wonder- 
ful steadiness, like an experienced skater balancing himself upon 
the ice. But in this dangerous moment, the rider must do nothing 
but endeavour to keep his seat firm upon the saddle, and trust 
his safety entirely to the mule ; for the least check of the 
rein, or the least motion, would be sufficient to disorder the 
equilibrium, in which case both must unavoidably be dashed to 
pieces. Some mules, after having been much accustomed to 
those dangerous journies, acquire a kind of reputation for their 
safety and dexterity, which very much enhances their value. 

As there is only another animal of the horse kind, we shall 
conclude this chapter with a short description of it. The ani- 
mals of this tribe are, by naturalists, reckoned only three in 
number, the mule being not a distinct species, but an hetero- 
geneous production. Of these three, the horse is the most 



' : 




; B B.A. 



THE ZEBRA. 25 

stately and spirited, the ass the most patient, and the zebra the 
most beautiful, although the wildest quadruped that nature has 
produced. 

THE ZEBRA, 

In shape, has a resemblance to the mule ; for it is less than 
the horse, and larger than the ass ; but it is chiefly prized for 
the exquisite beauty of its skin, the smoothness of which nothing 
can surpass. Nor can any thing exceed the beautiful regularity 
of its colours, which in the male are white and brown, and in 
the female white and black, ranged in alternate stripes over the 
whole body, in a style so beautiful and ornamental, that it might, 
at the first sight, seem the effect of the most exquisite art, rather 
than the genuine production of nature. The head is adorned 
with beautiful and regular stripes, which converge into a central 
point in the forehead : the neck is ornamented in the same man- 
ner, with fine rings which surround it : the thighs, legs, and even 
the tail, are beautified in the same style of elegance ; and every 
part is equally decorated. What is particularly remarkable in 
the colouring of the zebra is, that the stripes, which constitute 
its peculiar ornament, are disposed with such exactness of dis- 
tance, that the most consummate artist could not draw lines with 
more perfect regularity. It seems as if, in the adorning of this 
extraordinary animal, the Creator had given the command to 
Nature, to display her utmost skill, and in the formation of its 
stripes, to bid defiance to the line and compass. 

Such is the beauty of the zebra ; but it has hitherto been es- 
teemed absolutely untameable. It must, however, be confessed, 
that no effectual method has yet been adopted for that purpose. 
Resembling the horse in its form, as well as its manner of living, 
it might seem, that it possesses a similitude of nature ; and 
some naturalists suppose, that with proper management it might 
be converted to the same uses. This opinion, however, is but ill 
supported by experience ; for those that have been brought to 
this country, have discovered a degree of viciousness, that has 
rendered it unsafe to approach them. The zebra, which was long 
kept in the royal menagerie, in France, was exceedingly wild at 
its arrival, and was never completely tamed. He was, indeed, 
broken for the saddle, but his untractableness rendered great 
precaution necessary ; and two men were obliged to hold the 
bridle while another was riding him. Some suppose, that if this 
animal were completely domesticated, and a tame breed pro- 
duced, it might then be brought under the same management as 
the horse. A beautiful male zebra, at Exeter-change, London, 
which was afterwards burnt to death, by the mischievous act of 
a monkey setting fire to the straw on which he lay, appeared to 

C 



26 THE ZEBRA. 

have entirely lost his native wildness, and was so gentle as to 
suffer a child of six years old to sit quietly on his back, without 
exhibiting the least sign of displeasure. He was familiar even 
with strangers, and received those kind of caresses, that are 
usually given to the horse, with evident satisfaction. The one, 
however, that was some years ago kept at Kew, seemed of a 
savage and fierce nature. No one dared venture to approach 
it, except the person who was accustomed to feed it. For, what- 
ever speculation may imagine, experience shows this animal to 
be of a very different disposition from both the wild horse and 
the wild ass. Both these, when once taken, are easily tamed, 
and become tractable, which has never yet been the case with 
the zebra. 

This animal has, by many naturalists, been erroneously con- 
founded with the wild ass. There exists, indeed, an elegant breed 
of wild asses in some parts of the Levant, and in the northern 
countries of Africa, which is much more beautiful than the com- 
mon ass, and which, like the finest breed of horses, originated 
from Arabia. But the zebra is a very different animal from 
these, and inhabits a different climate. It exists neither in Europe, 
Asia, nor America, nor even in the northern parts of Africa, 
and is only found in the southern regions of the last-mentioned 
quarter of the globe, from Abyssinia to the Cape of Good Hope, 
and from Mosambique to Congo. As the ancients were unac- 
quainted with that part of the world, it is evident that the zebra 
cannot be the species of wild ass, which they well knew by the 
name of the Onagrus. The Dutch, of the Cape colony, have 
employed every means to subdue and tame the zebra, without 
success. Whole herds of these animals are sometimes seen feed- 
ing ; but they are exceedingly difficult to take, on account of 
their vigilance and extraordinary swiftness. We have been some- 
what prolix in the description of this singularly beautiful quad- 
ruped, as it constitutes a striking object in the animal creation, 
and is esteemed a present fit to be made to the greatest prince. 
It seems, that the Almighty Being has been willing to display to 
our eyes the exuberance of his power, in bestowing so great a 
profusion of beauty on the animal inhabitants of the desert, as 
well as so remarkable an adaptation of qualities on those more 
particularly designed for the service of man. 



CHAPTER IV. 
THE RUMIMJI.TIWG "ANIMALS. 

The strong, laborious Ox, of honest front." THOMSON. 

THE subject of the present chapter is, perhaps, the most in- 
teresting that is furnished by the whole system of animated na- 
ture. A very little reflection will suffice to show, that those 
animals, commonly called ruminating, of which the ox, sheep, 
and goat kind, are the principal, constitute, so far as considered 
in relation to man, the most important and intrinsically valuable 
part of the brute creation. If, indeed, indispensable necessity 
alone were made the criterion of utility and value, the ox and 
the sheep would claim a superiority even over that noble animal, 
the horse ; for the former, nourishing us with their milk, sus- 
taining us with their flesh, and clothing us with their fleeces, are 
objects of the utmost importance to us, and absolutely necessary 
to our well-being, if not to our existence ; while the latter, not- 
withstanding hii- extensive and universally acknowledged utility, 
might be left c it of the system of animal creation with less 
detriment to the human species, than would ensue from the 
omission, or extinction of the ox and the sheep. Ought we 
not, then, to admire and adore the infinite goodness of Him, 
who, by creating for our use both the one and the other, has 
so kindly considered our wants, and provided for their supply ; 
and consulted not only our necessities, but also our con- 
venience ? 

The various animals which ruminate, or chew the cud, living 
wholly on vegetables, have no inducement to make war on any 
other species ; and being confined to grain and herbage for their 
nourishment, their stomachs and intestines have received from 
nature a conformation which enables them to receive a large 
quantity of food : for this purpose, they are furnished with four 
stomachs. The food, after mastication, descends into the first 
of these, and after remaining there some time, is forced up again 
into the mouth, where it undergoes a second chewing. After 
this, it passes into the second stomach, and thence descends 
through the various convolutions of the intestines. Here, again, 
we must admire the wisdom of the Creator, in thus giving to 
these animals an interior conformation which enables them to 
receive large quantities of aliment, and to retain it in the stomach 
a length of time, sufficient for the extraction of such a quantity 
&f nutritious matter as is necessary for their support. 



28 THE OX KIND. 

Of the different animals of this class, we shall, in the first 
place, describe 

THE OX KIND. 

Among the various quadrupeds with which the earth abounds, 
as none is more necessary to the existence of the human species 
than the Cow, so, likewise, none appears to be more extensively 
propagated ; for it is found to exist from the polar circles to the 
equator, although it appears liable to greater changes from the 
difference of pasture and climate than most other animals ; and 
in no other can there be found a greater variety of kinds, arising 
from the diversity of these circumstances. In every part of the 
world the cow is found large or small, in proportion to the quan- 
tity and quality of its food. Our English pastures seem admi- 
rably suited to the nature of this quadruped ; and there is no 
part of Europe where it grows to a larger size, affords a greater 
quantity of milk, or fattens in less time. The age of the cow 
is discoverable by its horns. At the age of four years, a ring 
is formed towards the root, and every succeeding year adds an- 
other. Thus its age may be exactly known, until it grows very 
old, when the rings grow closer together, and appear less distinct. 

In Scotland there are two sorts of cows, different from each 
other, and iiom those of the southern parts of the island. Those 
of the county of Galloway are without horns, and generally of 
a brown colour, but often mixed with black, and sometimes en- 
tirely black. Large droves of these are brought into the south- 
ern parts of the kingdom, where they soon fatten. 

The cattle of the Highlands are very small, and mostly black, 
with fine white sharp horns, and hair thick like fur. Large droves 
of these are likewise brought into England. They are greatly 
esteemed for the excellence of their beef, as well as for the fa- 
cility with which they fatten. 

Iii Lord Tankerville's park, at Cjhillingham, near Berwick- 
upon-Tweed, there is yet left a breed of wild cattle, probably 
the only remains of the true breed of that species, at present to 
be found in this kingdom. Their colour is invariably white, with 
the muzzle black, and the whole inside of the ear, and about 
one-third part of the outside, from the hip downwards, red. Their 
horns are white, with black tips, and bent downwards. 

At the first appearance of any person near them, they set off 
in full gallop, and at the distance of two or three hundred yards, 
wheel round, and come boldly up again, tossing their heads in a 
menacing manner. On a sudden they make a full stop, at the 
distance of forty or fifty yards, and look wildly at the object of 
their surprise ; but on the least motion, they all gallop off again 
with equal speed, but not to the same distance, forming a smaller 



THE OX KIND. 29 

circle ; and again returning, with a bolder and more threatening 
aspect than before, they approach much nearer, probably within 
thirty yards, when they make another stand, and again gallop 
oft*. This they do several times, shortening their distance, till 
they come within a few yards, when it is generally thought pru- 
dent to leave them, as, if they were further provoked, they would 
probably in a few turns more make an attack. 

It was formerly a practice, occasionally to hunt a bull from 
among this herd ; of which notice being given, the inhabitants 
of the neighbourhood assembled, sometimes to the number of a 
hundred horsemen, and four or five hundred foot, all armed with 
guns and other weapons. But from the number of accidents 
which happened, this dangerous mode has been little practised 
of late years, the park-keeper alone generally killing them with 
a rifle-gun at one shot. 

When the cows of this herd calve, they hide their young in 
some sequestered place, and go to suckle them two or three 
times a day. The calves, if any person comes near them, clap 
their heads close to the ground, and lie like a hare in form. 
This seems a proof of the wildness of their nature ; of which, 
the following instance is likewise given: Dr. Fuller, author of 
the History of Berwick, found a calf hidden by its mother, only 
two days old, very lean and weak. On his stroking its head, it 
got up, pawed two or three times like an old bull, bellowed very 
loud, went back a few steps, and bolted at his legs with all its 
force ; bit, then began to paw again, bellowed, stepped back, 
and bolted as before. But being aware of its intentions, he moved 
aside, it missed its aim, fell, and was so very weak, that, though 
it made several efforts, it was not able to rise. It, however, had 
done enough the whole herd was alarmed, and coming to its 
rescue, obliged him to retire. 

The size of horned cattle, in general, as well as the quantity 
of milk, butter, and cheese, they produce, depend in a very great 
degree on the nature of their pasturage. In barren countries, 
they are always of inferior bulk, and the largest breed will there 
soon degenerate, and become small. The differences arising 
from this circumstance are exemplified in many parts, even of 
this narrow island ; and, throughout the world, are confirmed by 
universal observation. In the country of the Elut Tartars, where 
the pastures are remarkably luxuriant, the horned cattle are said 
to grow to so large a size, that a man must be tall that can reach 
the top of their shoulders. 

The quantity of milk and butter, afforded by the cow, is in- 
creased or diminished by a variety of circumstances, although it 
be affected by none more than the difference of its pasture. 
Some cows give only six, while others yield ten, fifteen, or even 

C2 



30 THE OX KIND. 

twenty quarts of milk, in one day ; some are even said to have 
afforded thirty quarts. From the milk of some cows, twelve or 
fourteen pounds of butter have been produced in one weeR. 
The quantity, however, as well as the quality of these produc- 
tions of the cow, depend very much on the greater or less ad- 
vancement of the period of gestation, which is nine months 
The life of the cow extends to about fifteen years. 

Formerly the ox was, of all quadrupeds, accounted the most 
proper for the draught or the plough. Before our high-ways 
were so well repaired, and so many turnpike-roads made in e TT ery 
part of the country, he was certainly better adapted to the draught 
than the horse ; but in the present state of the roads, the case 
is altered, and horses are found much more expeditious. The 
use of oxen for the plough is also nearly laid aside. This change 
arises from a similar reason the superior speed of horses, which 
the advanced price of labour renders at this day an object of 
considerable importance. In the reign of Queen Elizabeth, 
horses were so scarce, that no more than two thousand could 
be procured to mount the cavalry of this kingdom. At the present 
time, the numerous vehicles of all kinds, seen on the roads and 
in the streets, display such a multitude of horses, as must ap- 
pear astonishing. Ancient Rome, when mistress of the world, 
and the centre of luxury beyond all example, did not, perhaps, 
contain so many horses as might now be found either in Paris 
or London, although there is reason to believe, that the imperial 
city was once equal to both of them together, in respect of 
population, and perhaps also of wealth ; and it is almost beyond 
a doubt, that England now contains a far greater number than 
could, during many ages, be found in all Europe. How far the 
prodigious increase of the number of these truly useful and noble 
animals is eligible in a political view, it is difficult to determine. 
In those cases, the complexity of circumstances is so great as to 
require extensive information, as well as accurate calculation, 
before the truth can be ascertained, and the balance justly esti- 
mated. It is, however, evident, that the multiplication of horses 
has a certain tendency to the diminution of population, by less- 
ening the quantity, and enhancing the price, of the provisions 
necessary for the support of the human species. This is easy 
to comprehend, by supposing a certain number of men and 
horses, sufficient to consume the whole produce of any particular 
district, confined within its precincts, and deprived of all sup- 
plies from other quarters. In such a case, if an additional num- 
ber of horses were introduced, the country would then be over- 
stocked, and a part, either of the animal, or the human species, 
must fail for want of sustenance. The ox, after serving man by 
his labour, feeds him with his flesh; but the horse, with all his 



THE OX KIND. 31 

excellencies, and his utility in contributing to our comforts and 
conveniency, does not furnish any food for our support. What- 
ever may be the advantages or disadvantages of this unprece- 
dented increase of horses, it appears to be, at present, very 
difficult to restrain ; and the most judicious and economical 
taxes have not yet operated as any check to its progress ; nor is 
it, indeed, likely that they should, since scarcely any one, at this 
day, will make use of his legs, unless by the compulsatory law 
of necessity. 

To form a just idea of the various and extensive utility of the 
ox, we should consider, that there is scarcely any part of him 
without its use. The skin is manufactured into leather ; the hair, 
mixed with lime, is used in plaistering ; the bones serve as a sub- 
stitute for ivory, and being calcined, are used by the refiners as 
an absorbent, to carry off the baser metals in refining silver; and 
when ground in a mill, they become the most excellent manure 
for fertilizing the ground. Boxes, combs, knife-handles, drinking 
vessels, and various other articles, are made of the horns, which, 
when softened in boiling water, become so pliable, as to be 
formed into lanterns an invention ascribed to King Alfred : we 
are furnished with candles from the tallow, and the feet afford an 
excellent oil, adapted to a variety of purposes. Glue is made of 
the cartilages, gristles, and the finer pieces of the cuttings and 
parings of the hides, boiled in water. The thinnest of the calves' 
skins are manufactured into vellum. The blood is the principal 
ingredient in making Prussian blue. Saddlers, and others, use a 
fine sort of thread, prepared from the sinews, which is much 
stronger than any other equally fine. The gall, liver, and urine, 
are not without their uses in medicine, or in manufactures. 

The universally known productions of milk, butter, and cheese, 
as well as the excellent nutriment which beef affords to the hu- 
man body, clearly show, that the cow is, of all quadrupeds, and 
indeed of the whole animal creation, the most beneficial to man. 
The Egyptians were so sensible of its utility, that in their em- 
blematical theology, the ox was considered as one of their prin- 
cipal divinities, or rather as a symbol of that diffusive goodness 
which they discovered throughout the whole creation. In this 
country, however, of which the soil and climate are so con- 
genial to its nature, the poor are in a great measure excluded 
from the benefits of this excellent quadruped. The observation 
of Dr. Goldsmith, that " the cow is the poor man's pride, his 
riches, and support," is pleasing, but unfortunately inaccurate. 
That agreeable and elegant writer had not been accustomed to 
see and observe much rura. economy. The monopoly of land 
deprives the greatest part of the poor of the means of keeping 



82 THE BISON. 

a cow ; and in most country villages, milk cannot be procured 
at any price. 

In the next chapter, we shall give an account of some other 
species of horned cattle, which, not being domesticated like the 
cow, are not so useful to man, although it is not improbable, 
that, by a proper management, more benefit might be derived 
from them than is generally imagined. 



CHAPTER V. 

"The buffalo and bison, wild and fierce, 

Roam the wide plains, exulting in their strength." 

THE URUS, OR WILD BULL, 

AN animal which greatly resembles the tame kind, except in 
some trifling differences, which it probably owes to its natural 
wildness, in conjunction with the luxuriance of the pastures in 
which it ranges. It is chiefly to be met with in the extensive 
plains and forests of Lithuania, where it grows to an amazing 
size and bulk, being in these respects superior to every other 
quadruped except the elephant. It is entirely black, except a 
single stripe of white that runs along the whole length of the 
back : its eyes are red and fiery ; the horns thick and short ; 
the forehead is ornamented with a bushy covering of thick 
curled hair ; the neck is short and strong, and the skin exhales 
an odour somewhat resembling musk. The female, although 
much less than the male, exceeds in size the largest bulls pro- 
duced in this country. 

THE BISON 

Is another animal which differs from the rest of the ox kind, 
principally in having a large hump between its shoulders, resem- 
bling the boss of the camel, only with this difference, that it is 
placed more forward. The bison is furnished with a long shaggy 
mane, which forms a beard under his chin. His head is small, 
and his forehead wide ; his eyes fierce and red, and his horns 
extremely expanded. He is exceedingly wild and fierce, and 
the pursuit of him is very dangerous, except in forests where 
the trees are large enough to conceal and secure the hunters. 
The general method of taking this animal, is by digging deep 
pits, covered over with grass, on the opposite side of which some 
of the hunters placing themselves, tempt the enraged creature to 
pursue them, when, falling into the snare, he is soon overpowered. 



THE ZEBU THE GRUNTING OX. 33 

The bison is met with in most of the southern parts of the 
world, while the nrus is chiefly found in the cold or temperate 
regions. The former vary much in size, according to the varia- 
tions of soil and climate. Those of Abyssinia, Madagascar, and 
some parts of India, where the soil is fertile, and the pasturage 
luxuriant, are very large ; but in Arabia Petrasa, and some parts of 
Africa, are small, and from their diminutive size, and other dis- 
criminating characteristics, acquire the denomination of 

THE ZEBU. 

This, however, does not appear to be a distinct species, but 
only a degenerate kind of the bison, diminished in size from the 
scantiness of its feeding, a circumstance which appears to have 
a decided effect on the bulk of all horned cattle. Both the bison 
and the zebu are gentle when tamed. They have generally very 
fine glossy hair. The hunches on their back are of different 
sizes, some weighing from twenty to thirty) and others from forty 
to fifty pounds. The bison is well known in America, especially 
on the banks of the Mississippi, where they herd together in 
great numbers, and are hunted for their flesh, which there, as 
well as in many other countries, is esteemed excellent food. In 
Persia there is a breed of oxen entirely white, with lumps on the 
back, and small blunt horns : they are strong, and are used to 
carry burdens ; like the camel, they crouch down when about to 
be loaded. In India, the oxen are of different sizes, and substi- 
tuted for horses in travelling, as well as for drawing. They are 
saddled like horses, and may be made to move at a tolerable 
pace. A small string is drawn through the cartilage of the nos- 
trils, which, being fastened to a long cord, answers the purpose 
of a bridle. They will perform journies of above a thousand 
miles, at the rate of thirty-six or forty miles a day, and their 
pace is generally a moderate trot. They are also used in draw- 
ing chariots, for which purpose white oxen are the most esteemed. 
This circumstance, of oxen being used in India for riding, as 
well as for drawing, is an additional proof of their extensive and 
various utility, and shows that, if the exuberant goodness of the 
Creator had not bestowed the horse, the ox might have served 
as an useful substitute. 

THE GRUNTING OX 

Of Tartary, may, from its similarity to the bison, be considered 
as a distinct species. Its distinguishing peculiarity consists in its 
grunting like a hog, instead of lowing like an ox. It abounds 
principally in the country of Tibet, where it is domesticated, 
and answers all the purposes of our horned cattle : but there is 
also a wild breed of these animals, which are exceeding fierce, 



34 THE BUFFALO. 

and will sometimes turn with great fury upon any assailant. The 
tail of the grunting ox is much esteemed in Tibet, and sold at a 
high price as an ornament, being of a beautiful white colour, 
long, and very bushy. When mounted on a silver handle, it is 
used by persons of distinction in India, for the purpose of chasing 
away the flies. It is also sometimes fixed to the ear of the ele- 
phant, by way of ornament. When dyed red, and the hair formed 
into tufts, it is used by the Chinese to adorn their bonnets. 

THE BUFFALO 

Is another species of horned animal, which, by its appearance, 
seems to be of the cow kind, and in its form bears the most 
striking general resemblance to the common ox. Its habits and 
propensities are also similar, with respect to its aptitude for do- 
mestic uses, as both are equally submissive to the yoke ; yet no 
two species of animals can be in reality more distinct ; and they 
have the most singular antipathy against each other, which ap- 
pears the more extraordinary, as nothing of the kind is observed 
between the common cow and the bison, although they resemble 
each other much less in form. 

The buffalo is not so beautiful an animal as our common ox, 
his figure being more clumsy, his body thicker and shorter, and 
his legs, in proportion, longer ; his head, which he carries nearer 
the ground, is smaller than that of the cow ; his horns are not 
so round, nor is his body so thickly covered with hair. The flesh 
of the buffalo is described by some as hard and unpalatable, and 
exhaling a disagreeable smell. Sparman, on the contrary, says, 
that the flesh is coarse, and rather lean, but full of juice, of a 
high but not unpleasant flavour. In regard to this, much may 
depend on the caprice of taste, as well as on the difference of 
climate and feeding ; for experience proves, that these circum- 
stances have a very powerful influence on all animals, especially 
those of the horned kind, both with respect to their size and 
shape, the nature of their flesh, and the quality of their other 
productions. The innumerable shades of difference, produced 
in the same species of animals by the influence of soil and cli- 
mate, and other adventitious circumstances, are every where ob- 
servable, and admit of an endless' variety : it is, therefore, no 
wonder, that naturalists, as well as travellers, should differ in the 
description of minute particulars. All, however, agree, that the 
buffalo brings forth no more than one calf at a time, and that 
its period of gestation is twelve months, which evidently proves 
it to be a distinct species from the cow. 

A very singular circumstance, relative to these animals, is re- 
corded by those who completed the last voyage of Captain Cook 
to the Pacific Ocean. When at Pulo Condore, they procured 



THE BUFFALO. 35 

eight buffaloes, which were to be conducted to the ships by ropes, 
put through their nostrils, and round their horns. But when 
these were brought within sight of the ship's people, they be- 
came so furious, that some of them tore out the cartilage of their 
nostrils, and set themselves at liberty ; and others broke do\\ n 
even the shrubs to which it was frequently found necessary to 
fasten them. All attempts to get them on board would have 
proved fruitless, had it not been for some children whom the ani- 
mals would suffer to approach them, and by whose puerile man- 
agement their rage was quickly appeased : and when the animals 
were brought to the beach, it was by their assistance, in twisting 
ropes about their legs, that the men were enabled to throw them 
down, and by that means get them into the boats. And what 
appears to have been no less singular than this circumstance, 
was, that they had not been a day on board before they became 
perfectly gentle. 

The wild buffalo is found in India, and in many parts of Af- 
rica, especially towards the Cape of Good Hope. These are a 
formidable tribe, and it is impossible to escape their fury, other- 
wise than by climbing into some large tree, as they will break 
down one of a moderate growth. Many travellers have been 
instantly gored to death, and trampled to pieces under their feet. 
They run with amazing speed, and cross the largest rivers with- 
out difficulty. Professor Shemberg tells us, that when travelling 
in Caffraria, he and his companions had just entered a wood, 
when they discovered a large old male buffalo, lying alone, in a 
spot that, for the" space of a few square yards, was free from 
bushes. The animal no sooner observed the guide, who went 
first, than with a horrible roar he rushed upon him. The man, 
turning his horse short round, behind a large tree, the buffalo 
rushed straight forward to the next man, and gored his horse so 
dreadfully in the belly, that it died soon after. The two men 
climbed up into trees, and the furious animal made his way to- 
wards the rest, of whom the Professor was one, who were ap- 
proaching, but at some distance. A horse, without a rider, was 
in the front : as soon as the buffalo saw him, he became more 
outrageous than before, and attacked him with such fury, that 
he not only drove his horns into the horse's breast, but even out 
again through the very saddle. This horse was thrown to the 
ground with such violence, that he died instantly, having many 
of his bones broken. Just at this moment, the Professor hap- 
pened to come up ; but, from the narrowness of the path, having 
no room to turn round, he was glad to abandon his horse, and 
take refuge in a tolerably high tree. The buffalo, however, had 
finished ; for after the destruction of the second horse, he turned 
suddenly round, and galloped away. 



36 THE BUFFALO. 

Some time after this, the Professor and his party perceived an 
extremely large herd of buffaloes grazing in a plain. As they 
were now well acquainted with the disposition of these animals, 
and knew that they would not attack any person in the open 
plains, they approached within forty paces, and fired amongst 
them. The whole troop, notwithstanding the individual fierce- 
ness and boldness of the animals, surprised by the sudden flash 
and report, turned about and made off towards the woods. The 
wounded buffaloes, being unable to keep pace with the rest of 
the herd, were separated from them. Amongst these was an 
old buffalo, which ran with fury towards the party. They knew 
that, from the situation of the eyes of these animals, they could 
see in scarcely any other direction than straight forward ; and 
that, in an open plain, if a man that was pursued, darted out of 
the course, and threw himself flat on the ground, they would 
gallop forward to a considerable distance before they missed him. 
These circumstances prevented their suffering any material 
alarm. The animal, from this contrivance, passed close by them, 
and fell before he appeared to have discovered his error. Such, 
nowever, was his strength, that, notwithstanding the ball had en- 
tered his chest, and penetrated through the greatest part of his 
body, he ran at full speed several hundred paces before he fell. 

The hunters kill the buffaloes by firing on them from the tops 
of trees, with balls partly composed of tin, as the hide of this 
animal is too hard to be penetrated by a common musket-bail. 
The hide of the buffalo is very valuable, and the leather made 
from it is much esteemed for its smoothness, impenetrability, and 
duration qualities which render it excellent for harness. 

This animal, although so wild and formidable in a state of na- 
ture, is very easily tamed : it is patient and persevering, and being 
endowed with groat strength, is very serviceable for the draught. 
In Italy, the buffalo is domesticated, and constitutes a considera- 
ble part of the wealth and the food of the lower sort of the 
peasantry, who use them for the purposes of agriculture, and 
make butter and cheese from their milk, which is, however, reck- 
oned inferior to that of the cow. Buffaloes are also found in a 
tame state in many parts of the east, as well as in Italy. It is 
observed by D'Obsonville, that it is a singular sight to see large 
herds of them, morning and evening, cross the Tigris and Eu- 
phrates. They proceed all wedged together, the herdsman riding 
on one of them, sometimes standing upright, and sometimes 
couching down, and if any of those on the outside straggle, or 
lag behind, stepping lightly from back to back, to drive them 
alon. Thus it appears, that the buffalo, although naturally fierce 
and terrible when wild, is, by the management of man, rendered 
an useful animal, and a valuable gift of the bountiful Creator. 



C 37 ) 

CHAPTER VI. 
THE SHEEP. 

w Behold, where bound, and of its robe bereft 

By needy man, that all-depending lord, 

How meek, how patient, the mild creature lies. 

# # * # * * 

A simple scene, yet hence Britannia sees 

Her solid grandeur rise; hence she commands 

Th' exalted stores of every brighter clime !" THOMSON. 

OUR attention will now be called to a species of the animal 
creation, which, in respect of utility, may be deservedly ranked 
with the horse and the ox, and, indeed, is scarcely less condu- 
cive to the well-being of the human race, than those two most 
valuable quadrupeds. In some respects, indeed, this inestimable 
creature may be said to excel both. If the horse be conducive 
to our pleasure and conveniency, and to the easy and expeditious 
performance of the greatest part of our business ; if the cow 
furnish us with the most nutritive and strengthening part of our 
food, it is to the Sheep that we owe not only a very considerable 
portion of our aliment, but also the most essential part of our 
clothing. 

The Sheep is, in a peculiar manner, the creature of man ; to 
him it entirely owes its protection, and to his necessities it amply 
contributes. On man, indeed, its existence depends ; for with- 
out his fostering care, and the interest he has in its preservation, 
its numerous enemies would soon exterminate the whole race. 
Though singularly inoffensive, it does not, however, appear so 
stupid and inanimate as it is considered to be by Burton, who 
describes it as "destitute of every art of self-preservation." 
On mountains, and in extensive sheep-walks, where numerous 
flocks browse together, the sheep assumes a different character, 
and a ram, or even sometimes a wether, or an ewe, has been 
seen to attack a dog, and to come off victorious. Sometimes, 
in case of attack, they will have recourse to the collective strength 
of the whole flock, and drawing up into a compact body, and 
keeping close together, present towards eveiy quarter a formi- 
dable front, which cannot be attacked without danger to the as- 
sailant. The sheep undoubtedly discovers less animation and 
sagacity than many other quadrupeds ; but in the selection of its 
food, few display a greater share of instinctive discrimination. 
Its acuteness of perception, in regard to the approach of a storm, 
is also equal to what is manifested in this respect by almost any 
other animal. 

D 



38 THE SHEEP. 

The sheep, in consequence of the warm and oily nature of its 
fleece, is able to bear the greatest extremity of cold ; and whole 
flocks, in endeavouring to shelter themselves under a high hedge, 
or the brow of a steep hill, have frequently been buried many 
days under the snow without any detriment. 

The varieties, observable in this quadruped, are so multiplied, 
that no two countries, nor scarcely any two districts, produce 
sheep exactly of the same kind. A visible difference is found be- 
tween all the different breeds, either in size, the shape, the fleece, 
or the horns. The woolly sheep is an inhabitant only of Europe, 
and the temperate regions of Asia ; if it be transported into a 
hotter country, it not only becomes less prolific, but its flesh loses 
its flavour, and what is still more remarkable, its wool changes 
into a long rough kind of hair, which, by its openness and cool- 
ness, is a covering far better suited to a warm climate, than the 
close and woolly fleece with which it is clothed in these parts of 
the world ; a circumstance which exhibits a remarkable instance 
of the wisdom and goodness of Divine Providence, in providing 
for the well-being of all creatures. 

The sheep, in the mountainous parts of Wales, where they 
are rendered wild by the unrestrained liberty which they enjoy, 
do not always go in large flocks, but sometimes graze in parties 
of about eight or twelve, one of which remains at some distance 
from the rest, to give notice should any danger approach. When 
the sentinel sees any one advancing, at the distance of two or 
three hundred yards, he turns his face to the enemy, keeping a 
watchful eye upon his motions, allowing him, usually, to approach 
within eighty or a hundred yards; buf if the suspected foe pro- 
ceeds to come nearer, the watchful guard alarms his comrades 
by a loud hiss, or whistle, twice or thrice repeated, when the 
whole party instantly make off with great agility, always flying 
to the steepest and most inaccessible parts of the mountain. 

It is very singular, that in the Holms round Kirkwall, in the 
island of Mainland, one of the Orkneys, if any person, about 
the lambing time, enters with a dog, or even without, the ewes 
suddenly take fright, and through fear, as it is imagined, in- 
stantly drop down dead, as though shot through the head with a 
musket-ball. 

No country produces finer sheep than Great Britain. Those 
of Spain have finer wool, but their fleeces stand in no degree of 
comparison with those of Lincolnshire, and many other parts of 
this kingdom, for weight and general utility. Like other rumi- 
nating animals, the sheep wants the upper fore-teeth : it has 
eight in the lower jaw, two of which drop out, and at the age 
of two years are replaced ; four of them are renewed at the age 
of three, and the rest at that of four years. The ewe produces 



THE SHEEP. 39 

one or two, and sometimes three, or even four lambs : such in- 
stances of fecundity, however, are rare. The time of gestation 
is five months, and she brings forth in the spring, seldom earlier 
than the month of February, or later than the middle of April. 

The Lincolnshire breed of sheep, which, with some variations 
and intermixtures, is extended through most of the eastern and 
midland counties of England, is large, and bears heavy fleeces ; 
but the wool is very long, and not so fine as some others ; the 
mutton is also esteemed somewhat coarser than that of smaller 
sized sheep. The largest breed of sheep, in the whole island, is 
found on the banks of the Tees, in that fertile valley which sepa- 
rates Yorkshire from the county of Durham. Some of these 
sheep have been fed to the weight of fifty pounds per quarter ; 
one, in particular, was found to weigh sixty-two pounds and a 
half per quarter ; this was supposed to be the heaviest sheep 
ever slaughtered in this kingdom. This breed of sheep is more 
prolific than several others ; but those of Dorsetshire are prin- 
cipally remarked for their extraordinary fecundity, being capable 
of producing twice a year. From this breed, the tables of the 
great and opulent are supplied with early lamb at Christmas, or 
sooner if required. Great numbers of these are sent to the 
London markets, and sold at the enormous price of ten, or per- 
haps fifteen shillings per quarter. This circumstance contributes 
not a little to enhance the value of the Dorsetshire breed of 
sheep, which, with some variations, is spread through most of 
the southern counties, but found pure and unmixed only in Dor- 
setshire and Wiltshire. In the north-west parts of England, 
there is a hardy, black-faced breed, the wool of which is coarse 
nnd shaggy, but the flesh is esteemed excellent, In the northern 
districts of Scotland, a breed of sheep is common, which is re- 
markable for the smnllness of its size, as well as the fineness of 
its mutton : their wool, which is also very fine, is streaked with 
the various colours of black, brown, and red. Some of these 
sheep do not weigh above six or seven pounds per quarter. 

The Shetland sheep are generally without horns, and hand- 
some, although very small. When fed, they do not weigh more 
than eight or ten pounds per quarter. This breed of sheep is 
exceeding hardy, and consequently well adapted to the severe 
climate where it is found ; but what renders them an object of 
importance is, that their wool is esteemed by good judges to be 
equal in fineness to that of Tibet of which the Indian shawls 
are made. These sheep have a kind of long hair intermixed 
among the wool a singular instance of the providence of the 
All-wise Creator, in considering the wants of this animal in so 
cold a climate ; for as they are never shorn, the wool is pulled 



40 THE SHEEP. 

off once a year, and the hair remaining, preserves the creature 
from the piercing winds of that northern region. 

The breed of English sheep has, by the persevering attention 
of Mr. Bakewell, of Dishley, in Leicestershire, been exceed- 
ingly improved ; and his example has been successfully followed 
by many eminent breeders. The improved Leicestershire breed 
is now in the greatest esteem in most parts of the kingdom, and 
almost all the principal breeders endeavour to introduce some 
mixture of it into their stock. Its superior qualities are princi- 
pally those of fattening quickly, and carrying the greatest weight 
of mutton upon the smallest proportion of bone. 

From these circumstances, we readily conceive the beneficial 
effects of those improvements whioh have been made in our 
sheep, as well as our horses and horned cattle, and consider the 
importance of that respectable body of men, the English farm- 
ers, to whose spirited exertions, and skilful management, this 
country owes, under Divine Providence, the number and excel- 
lence of those flocks and herds, which range over our hills, en- 
liven our plains, and constitute an inexhaustible source of plenty 
and wealth. 

THE TARTARIAN SHEEP. 

Tartary produces a breed of sheep somewhat larger than those 
of this country. The colour of the ram is brown, mixed with 
white, and that of the ewe, black and white. Their ears are 
pendulous, and instead of a tail, nature has furnished them with 
a large protuberance of fat. These sheep abound in Tartary, 
and great numbers of them are annually sold into Russia. 

The African, or Guinea sheep, are found in most of the tro- 
pical countries. They are large, strong, and swift, with short 
horns, pendulous ears, and coarse hairy fleeces. 

THE MANY-HORNED SHEEP. 

The sheep of Iceland, Russia, and otlrer cold regions of the 
north, resemble ours in the form of their bodies, but differ from 
them in having a number of horns, some having four, and others 
eight. Their wool is long, and intermingled with hair, and their 
colour a dark brown. 

THE WALLACHIAN SHEEP 

Have long spiral horns, standing upright, in the form of a 
screw. They resemble those of this country in size and shape, 
and have long shaggy fleeces. They are also found in Crete, as 
well as in many isles of the Archipelago.' The broad-tailed sheep, 
common in Persia, Syria, Barbary, and Egypt, are remarkable 



THE SHEEP. 41 

principally for their large and heavy tails, which are frequently 
a foot broad. The tails of these sheep weigh from twenty to 
fifty pounds, and are esteemed a great delicacy, being of a sub- 
stance between fat and marrow. 

The sheep of the mountains of Tibet, afford wool of an ex- 
traordinary length and fineness, of which are made the Indian 
shawls, frequently sold in this country, at the exorbitant price of 
forty or fifty pounds. Formerly an opinion prevailed, that those 
shawls were made of the hair of the camel ; and it is only since 
the English began to form a communication with Tibet from 
India, that the real material of this singular manufacture has 
been known. 

We have been somewhat prolix, in exhibiting the different 
kinds of those quadrupeds which are so conducive to our con- 
veniency and comfort, and so essential to our well-being, that we 
cannot but consider them as designed by the all-wise and boun- 
tiful Creator peculiarly for our use. To examine each species* 
by following all its varieties, proceeding from soil, climate, and 
human management, would be an endless, and, indeed, an use- 
less task. Our intention is, only to present to view the great 
outlines of nature, with which every one ought to be acquainted, 
that so we may be enabled to form a right judgment of their 
properties and use, and to conceive some faint idea of the infi- 
nite goodness of the Great Author of all existence, in creating 
them for our benefit, as well as of his power and wisdom in giv- 
ing them qualities so perfectly adapted to that purpose. Our 
views of these subjects will still be enlarged, when we consider, 
that of the sheep, as well as of the ox, there is scarcely any pro- 
duction that is riot useful to man. Of the fleece we make our 
clothes ; the skin produces leather, suitable to a multiplicity of 
purposes ; and the very entrails are formed into strings for vio- 
lins and other musical instruments. It must also be observed, 
that the milk and butter, produced from sheep, constitute in 
some countries no inconsiderable article of food ; and although 
inferior to the same productions of the cow, might serve as a 
very good succedaneum, if Providence had not supplied us with 
that useful and excellent quadruped, which affords another striking 
instance of the prolific bounty of the Creator in affording us such 
a variety of resources. 

One particular and very interesting circumstance, relative to 
the animal now under consideration, must not be forgotten. It 
merits our attention, and will furnish our minds with a copious 
fund of reflection, as it will enable us to comprehend the great 
importance of our sheep as an object of national advantage. In 
the reign of Edward the Third, when the English wool was ex 
ported, it brought in 150,000 per annum, a vast sum in that 

D2 



42 THE SHEEP. 

age. At this time, the value of the wool, annually shorn in 
England, is estimated at about five millions sterling, and when 
manufactured conjointly with the Spanish wool imported, to the 
annual amount of not more than six or seven hundred thousand 
pounds, the value of the cloth must be above twenty millions 
sterling. 

Our woollen manufactory stands unrivalled by any nation, and 
employs a greater capital, produces a greater profit, and fur- 
nishes employment to a greater number of hands, than any other 
manufacture in Europe, or probably in the world. Thus we 
perceive, that the sheep of this island, besides supplying us with 
the most essential comforts and conveniences of life, are the 
support of our commerce and population, as well as one of the 
great sources of our wealth. When we give these considerations 
their due weight, we do not adopt the principle advanced by some 
naturalists, who pretend that animals were not primarily intended 
for the use of man, but are only capable of a secondary appli- 
cation to his purposes ; for it is evident, that in many instances, 
what these philosophers term the secondary purpose, is so mani- 
fest, and so essentially necessary to our comfortable existence, 
that we cannot, without impropriety, as well as ingratitude, sup* 
pose it to have been excluded from the original design of the all- 
wise and bountiful Creator. The wonderful qualities and varied 
utility of the horse, the cow, and the sheep, exhibit a striking 
example of this subordination of the animal race, and of an 
adaptation to the circumstances and wants of the human species, 
which evidently appears to be the effect of an all-wise design, 
and a constituent part of a comprehensive plan. In order to 
perceive the reasonableness of this hypothesis, we have only to 
consider the benefits we derive from these animals, and the diffi- 
culties under which mankind must have laboured without them, 
or some others which might have served as substitutes. The 
important and interesting reflections, both moral and religious, 
which these three excellent species of quadrupeds, so commonly 
seen, but so seldom viewed with a philosophic eye, are calculated 
to excite in the contemplative mind, will, we trust, be a sufficient 
apology for the prolixity of this article. 



( 43 ) 

CHAPTER VII. 

GOJ&T. 

" The mountain's brow, 
Where sits the shepherd on the grassy turf, 
Inhaling, healthful, the descending sun; 
Around him feed his many-bleating flock, 
Of various cadence ; his sportive lambs and goats, 
This way and that convolv'd, in friskful glee, 
Their frolics play." THOMSON. 

WE shall now proceed to the description of another kind of 
animal, which, although in some respects it bears a considerable 
resemblance to the sheep, differs from it so widely in others, as 
to give evident proofs of a distinction of species. This you will 
readily perceive to be the Goat, which, in some countries, is es- 
teemed no mean substitute for the highly useful animal which was 
the subject of the last chapter. Before we proceed in this view 
of the works of nature, we must cast a glance at a creature 
which seerns to be so nearly allied to each of the two species, 
as to form one of those connecting links which we so often per- 
ceive in the continued chain of animal existence. 

THE MUFFLON, OR MUSMON, 

So much resembles, in some respects, the sheep, and in others, 
the goat, that it has, by different naturalists, been classed with each 
of the two species. Its horns resemble those of the ram ; they are 
bent backward, and in all their convolutions sometimes measure 
from five to seven feet in length. The old rams of this kind often 
have desperate conflicts, and sometimes precipitate one another 
from the summits of the rocks which they frequent. From their 
covering, which is hair, they seem to participate more of the 
species of the goat than of that of the sheep, and they appear 
to partake of the disposition of the former, in frequenting the 
highest and most rugged parts of mountainous countries. This 
renders the hunting of the musmon, which is much practised by 
the Tartars and Kamtschntdales, extremely difficult and dan- 
gerous. The musmons of Kamtschatka grow to the size of a 
young stag, and are said to be so strong, that ten men are hardly 
able to hold one of them. The horns are also extremely large, 
and are made use of for a variety of purposes. This animal is 
found in the uncultivated and mountainous parts of Greece, Sar- 
dinia, and Corsica, and also in the desert plains of Tartary. In 
the swiftness of its running, it resembles the deer more than 
either the sheep or the goat. As it has been known to breed 



44 THE COMMON GOAT. 

with the common sheep, Buffon, and many other naturalists, have 
supposed it to be the primitive race of that animal. Whether or 
riot this be the case, is, however, a problem of which the solu- 
tion is difficult, if not impossible. 

THE COMMON GOAT 

Occupies the next place in the scale of animal existence, and 
although inferior in utility to the sheep, has, in many respects, a 
.visible affinity to that quadruped ; but the services of the latter 
cause the-goat to be held in less estimation, and its domestication 
and improvement to be considered as an object less worthy of 
attention. The goat is more hardy than the sheep, and in every 
respect better adapted to a state of liberty. It is stronger, 
swifter, and more playful ; not easily confined to a flock, but 
choosing its own pasture ; it delights to roam at large. It is 
easily sustained, and appears to have a stronger inclination for 
liberty than for delicacy of food. For this reason, it is valuable 
chiefly to the inhabitants of wild and mountainous countries, 
where it finds an ample supply from the spontaneous productions 
of nature, in situations inaccessible to most other quadrupeds. 
Goats clirnb the loftiest rocks, and stand secure on the brink of 
the most abrupt precipices ; for this purpose, their feet are ad- 
mirably formed by nature, the hoofs being hollowed underneath 
with sharp edges, resembling the inside of a spoon, which pre- 
vents them from sliding off the craggy rocks which they fre- 
quent. This singular conformation of the feet of this animal 
exhibits a remarkable instance of the wisdom and goodness of the 
Creator, in so perfectly adapting its organization to its instincts. 

The goat delights in uncultivated heath, or the shrubby rock, 
rather than in the fields cultivated by human industry. It bears 
well either a hot or a cold climate. Its milk is of an agreeable 
taste, highly nutritive, and medicinal, especially in consumptive 
cases. Several places, in the mountainous parts of Ireland, 
Scotland, and Wales, are much resorted to by valetudinarians, 
for the purpose of drinking the milk of the goat, and its effects 
are often found salutary in vitiated and debilitated habits. 

Sonnini, in his edition of Buffbn's Natural History, gives a 
curious instance of the readiness with which the goat will permit 
itself to be sucked by animals of a different kind, and even of a 
much larger size than itself. He tells us, that he saw, in the 
year 1780, a foal, that had lost its mother, thus nourished by a 
goat, which was placed on a barrel, in order that the foal might 
suck with more convenience. The foal followed its nurse to 
pasture, as if she had been its mother ; and was attended with 
the greatest care by the goat, which always called it back by her 
bleatings, when it wandered to any distance from her. 



THE IBEX. 45 

These animals, from extreme familiarity, will sometimes be- 
come troublesome. BufFon relates, that in 1698, an English 
ship, having gone into a harbour in the island of Bonavista, two 
negroes went on board, and offered the captain as many goats as 
he chose to carry away. He expressed his surprise at this offer, 
when the negroes informed him that there were only twelve per- 
sons on the island, and that the goats had become so numerous, 
as to be extremely troublesome; for, instead of being difficult to 
catch, they followed them about with an unpleasant degree of 
obstinacy, like other domestic animals. 

In many of the mountainous parts of Europe, goats constitute 
the principal wealth of the inhabitants, and supply them with 
many of the necessaries and conveniencies of life. They lie 
upon beds made of their skins : they live upon their rnilk without 
bread, and make from it both butter and cheese. The flesh of 
the kid is esteemed a rarity, and considered as little inferior to 
venison. From these considerations, it appears that the goat, 
although superseded in this country by the sheep, is a quadruped 
of very considerable value. We may also add, that being ex- 
tremely sensible of attention, and grateful for kindness, it soon 
becomes attached to man. But it is a short-lived animal, full of 
ardour, but soon exhausted. It generally produces two, or 
sometimes three, young at a time ; but in warm climates, it is 
more prolific. 

THE IBEX, 

According to M. Buffon, is the parent stock from which our 
domestic goat is descended; and, indeed, the former is very 
similar to the latter in the shape of its body, but differs consider- 
ably from it in the shape of its horns, which are much larger. 
The ibex frequents the most elevated parts of the Alps, in the 
Vallois, and the country of the Grisons : it is also found in the 
mountains of Crete. It is extremely wild, and the chase of it 
exceedingly dangerous, as it always keeps upon the highest 
points of the rocks, and being very strong, frequently turns upon 
the huntsman, and hurls him headlong down the precipice. If 
will mount a perpendicular rock of fifteen feet, at three leaps, or 
rather at three successive bounds of five feet each. It does not 
appear to find any footing on the rock, but seems to touch it 
merely to be repelled, like an elastic substance striking a hard 
body. In the last extremity, this active and intrepid animal can 
throw itself from the tops of the highest rocks, and escape 
unhurt. 

The colour of the ibex is generally a dark brown, intermixed 
with a little grey ; a streak often runs along the top of its back ; 
the belly and thighs are of a delicate fawn colour. 



46 THE CHAMOIS GOAT. 

THE CHAMOIS GOAT 

Inhabits the same districts as the ibex, and abounds jn the 
mountains of Dauphine, Piedmont, Savoy, and Switzerland. 
They are seen in flocks of eighty or a hundred, dispersed among 
the crags of those stupendous mountains. The chamois resem- 
bles in size the common goat, but is greatly admired for the 
beauty of its eyes, which are round, sparkling, and animated. 
Its head is ornamented with two horns, of about half a foot 
long, of a beautiful black, rising from the forehead almost be- 
tween the eyes. These horns stand forward, bending a little 
back towards the extremities, and ending in a sharp point. The 
ears are elegantly placed near the horns, and two stripes of 
black adorn each side of the face ; the rest being of a pale yel- 
low. This animal has scarcely any cry, except a feeble bleat 
by which it calls its young ; but in cases of danger, when it gives 
warning to the rest of the flock, it makes through its nostrils a 
hissing noise, which is heard to a great distance. It is extremely 
vigilant, and to an eye remarkably quick and piercing, adds a 
scent not less acute and distinguishing. When it perceives its 
enemy distinctly, it stops a moment, then, in an instant, takes 
flight ; and it is said to be able, by the acuteness of its smelling, 
to discover a man at the distance of more than a mile. Upon 
any apprehension of danger, the chamois begins a loud hissing. 
The first hiss is in the beginning very sharp, but deeper towards 
the close, and continues the whole time of one respiration. 
Having, after this first alarm, reposed itself for a moment, it 
looks round, and if it perceives the danger to be real, it continues 
to hiss at intervals. During this time, the animal seems in the 
most violent agitation, striking the ground with its fore feet ; it 
bounds from rock to rock, and flies to the edges of the precipices 
to look for the enemy. It is said, that some of them always act 
the part of sentinels ; and it has generally been observed, that, 
where a herd of them is seen feeding, two or three are mostly 
detached from the rest. The hunting of the chamois is attended 
with the same difficulties and danger as that of the ibex ; and 
like the latter, it will, when hard pressed, turn upon the hunter, 
and precipitate him from the top of a craggy rock, where he 
must meet with inevitable destruction. The usual method of 
taking them, is by placing persons at all the passages of a glado 
or valley, and shooting them from behind the clefts of the rocks. 
Their extreme swiftness renders them unapproachable by any 
mode of pursuit, and dogs are totally useless in this chase. They 
run along the crags with such rapidity, and bound from rock to 
rock with such ease, that no other animal can follow them ; and 
nothing can be more astonishing, than the extraordinary facility 



THE GOAT OF ANGORA. 47 

with which the chamois climbs and descends precipices, that to 
all other quadrupeds are inaccessible. These animals will fre- 
quently leap from a rock thirty feet high, and light, with the 
greatest security, on some fragment or excrescence on the side 
of the precipice? which is only just large enough to place their 
feet on ; and such is the extreme quickness and agility of their 
motion, that to a spectator they seem rather to fly than to leap, 
such extraordinary advantages has the great Creator given to 
this singular quadruped, to serve as means for its preservation. 

The chamois, notwithstanding its extraordinary wildness, is, 
when caught, very easily rendered tame and docile, and like 
other animals of the goat kind, soon becomes attached to good 
treatment. Its flesh is very good and wholesome, and the skin 
of the chamois was once reckoned, when tanned, exceedingly 
valuable for its softness and warmth. At present, however, the 
leather called shammoy, is made also from the skins of the deer, 
the sheep, and the domestic goat. 

The chamois is so much incommoded by heat, that in summer 
they are never found any where but under the shade of high and 
spreading trees, in the caverns of rocks, amidst fragments of 
ice, or under rough and overhanging precipices, facing the 
north, as they cannot bear the rays of the summer's sun. They 
pasture only in the evening or morning, and when the day begins 
to grow warm, always retire to their shady recesses. Thus we 
find, that an all-wise Providence has, in every respect, adapted 
the nature of this, as of every other creature, to the region 
which it is destined to inhabit. 

THE GOAT OF ANGORA 

Is remarkable for its long, thick, and glossy hair, which is of 
a dazzling whiteness, and is highly valued as a profitable article 
of commerce ; for of this are made those beautiful cloths, well 
known among us by the name of Camblets. These animals in- 
habit the rocky mountains of Pontus, where they experience a 
considerable degree of cold, and, as well as the sheep of Tibet, 
so famous for the fineness of its wool, from which the high-priced 
Indian shawl is made, might, in all probability, thrive as well in 
Britain as in their native country. Both these valuable quadru- 
peds live in a climate which, in winter, is much more severe than 
ours. They might, undoubtedly, be transplanted into this coun- 
try with success, and if once introduced, would not only tend to 
beautify and enliven the rugged scenes of our most bleak and 
barren mountains, but render the uncultivated and unproductive 
parts of the island a source of utility and wealth. In Portugal 
there is also a breed of fine large goats, remarkable for their 
abundance of milk, of which some yield not less than six quarts 



48 THE ANTELOPES. 

per day. These also, if introduced into some of the mountainous 
and barren tracts of this island, might be an useful acquisition. 

THE SYRIAN GOAT 

Differs in nothing from ours, except in its ears, which are 
pendulous, and from a foot to two feet in length. M. Buffon 
supposes this to be only a variety of the Angora goat ; from 
which, however, it differs much more than from the domestic 
kind. Its horns are short and black ; those of the goat of An- 
gora are also black, but larger, and very differently turned, pro- 
ceedingly horizontally from each side of the head, and twisted 
almost in the form of a screw. The Syrian wants also the fine 
hair, which renders the Angora breed so estimable. The Syrian 
goats abound in the neighbourhood of Aleppo, and numbers of 
them are daily driven through the streets of that city, to supply 
the inhabitants with milk, which they prefer to that of the cow. 

These are the principal varieties of the goat kind, although 
we might add a number of others, such as the African goat, 
which is much smaller than the common kind. In America, 
there is also a small breed of goats, nearly similar to those of 
Africa, and which, according to Buffon, was transplanted from 
thence into the new continent. This, indeed, is very probable, 
as it is certain, that the goat, as well as every other domestic 
animal, was unknown in America at the time of its discovery by 
the Spaniards. 



CHAPTER VIII. 
THE A9IT!SOFZ5S. 

" From rock to rock the swift antelope springs." ANON. 

WE have exhibited to view the principal varieties of the sheep 
and the goat kind, and the approaches they make towards each 
other, by continual, and, in some respects, almost imperceptible 
gradations. Nature, indeed, proceeds in her variations by in- 
sensible degrees, and a line of distinction can sometimes scarcely 
be drawn between her varying shades, or a discrimination made 
between two neighbouring tribes of animal life. Between the 
sheep and the goat, we have seen the musmon sometimes classed 
with the former, and sometimes with the latter, and forming the 
connecting link between the two species, in such a manner, as to 
render it difficult to determine where the one begins and the 
other ends ; and to fix the boundaries between the goat and the 



THE ANTELOPES. 49 

deer, is still more difficult. In almost all transitions, from one 
kind to another, a middle race is 'wind, which appears to par- 
take of the nature of both, and which yet -cannot precisely be 
classed with either. 

THE GAZELLES, OR ANTELOPES, 

Form one of those connections of animated nature, holding a 
middle rank between the goat and the deer ; and although they 
have, by some systematic writers, particularly Linnaeus, been 
classed with the goat kind, yet some others have considered them 
as a distinct race ; and, indeed, if they have properties in com- 
mon with the goat, especially the similitude of their horns, and 
the circumstance of not casting them, they greatly resemble the 
deer in other respects. The characteristics which distinguish 
this tribe of animals, both from the goat and the deer, are chiefly 
these : The horns are annulated, and have longitudinal furrows 
running from the base to the apex. Of all animals, the deer kind 
have the most beautiful eyes, to which the Eastern poets make 
frequent allusions, in describing the attractive glances of their 
favourite mistresses. Besides the extraordinary beauty and mild- 
ness of its aspect, the gazelle surpasses the roebuck in the deli- 
cate formation of its limbs, as well as in the fineness and glossi- 
ness of its hair. It is elegant in its shape, and rapid in its motions; 
of a restless and timid disposition ; vigilant and vivacious ; and 
its boundings are astonishingly light and elastic. These may be 
considered as the general characteristics of all the different spe- 
cies, of which our limits permit us to enumerate only a few, 
although they are ramified into almost numberless varieties. Of 
these we shall remark 

THE BLUE GOAT, 

So named from its colour, which is a fine blue, and shines with 
a gloss resembling that of velvet. Its belly is white, and beneath 
each eye it has a large white mark : its tail is about half a foot 
long, with a brush of long hair at the end : its horns are turned 
backward, and thiee-fourths of the length, from the base, is deco- 
rated with twenty-four rings; but the uppermost quarter is 
smooth, and terminates in a point. This animal inhabits the hot- 
test parts of Africa. 

THE PIED GOAT 

Is an inhabitant of the same country, and large herds of them 
are seen in the forests and plains of Senegal. It is remarkable 
for having a white band running along each of its sides, crossed 
by two others, whence it is called the harnessed antelope. On 
each side of the rump it has three white lines, in a downward 

E 



60 THL ANTELOPES. 

direction. The colour of its body is a deep tawny, with white 
spots on the thighs. The horns are straight, about nine inches 
long, and turned backward. 

THE WOOD GOAT, 

Which is found in the southern parts of Africa, near the Cape 
of Good Hope, lives mostly in the woods, from whence it has 
received its appellation. This animal is accurately described by 
Dr. Sparman ; but as it has no such particular distinctions, as 
can render it strikingly dissimilar to the rest of the kind, we shall 
proceed to 

THE WHITE ANTELOPE, 

Which is supposed to be the pygarg, mentioned in the book 
of Numbers. It is an inhabitant of Africa, and in the neighbour- 
hood of the Cape of Good Hope, herds of several thousands 
sometimes cover the plains. It must, however, have once been 
an inhabitant of Palestine, or at least of Egypt or Arabia ; for 
it is not to be supposed, that the prohibitions of the Jewish law 
would have comprehended a quadruped, found nowhere but in 
the torrid zone, or in the southern parts of Africa. 

The white antelope is a beautiful creature, about two feet and 
a half high, and about three feet in length. The distance of its 
horns, at the base, is about one inch : from thence they gradu- 
ally expand, to the distance of five yiches, then turn inwards, 
and approach within about three inches of each other at the 
points : they are of a deep black, annulated about half way up 
from the base, quite smooth towards the top, and terminating in 
a sharp point. The predominant colour of this beautiful animal, 
is a light brown : its breast, belly, and inside of the limbs, are 
white, as is also the head, with the exception of a dark brown 
stripe, extending from each corner of the mouth to the base of 
the horns : a stripe of the same colour runs also along each side, 
from the shoulders to the haunches, forming a boundary between 
the snowy whiteness of the belly, and the light brown of the 
sides : the buttocks are white, and a stripe of white, bounded on 
each side by one of dark brown, extends from the tail, half way 
up the back ; the tail is very slender, the lower part of it not 
being much thicker than a goose-quill ; the hair is in general 
fine and short, but the dark stripes consist of hair longer than 
the rest. In the pursuit of these animals, it is equally curious 
and pleasant, to see the whole herd bounding over one another's 
heads to a considerable height. Some of them will take three 
or four high leaps successively. In this position they seem sus- 
pended in the air, looking over their shoulders, and showing their 
beautiful white backs. They are so extremely swift, as to re- 



THE ANTELOPES. 51 

quire a fleet horse to overtake them. Their flesh is very well 
tasted, juicy, and delicate. 

THE ELK ANTELOPE 

Is likewise an inhabitant of Africa, and also of India. It has 
straight horns, two feet long, and of a dark brown colour, marked 
with two prominent spiral ribs, running two-thirds of their length, 
the tops smooth, with an inward inflection. The forehead is flat, 
with a crest of hair standing erect the whole length of it. This 
animal is one of the largest of the gazelle kind : it is of a bluish 
ash colour, and has a black mane, which stands upright, and 
runs the whole length of the back as well as of the neck. The 
elk antelopes live chiefly in the plains and valleys, and when 
hunted, always endeavour to run against the wind. The Dutch 
colonists, in the Cape settlement, are very expert in hunting this 
animal. 

THE HART BEEST 

Is the most common of all the larger kind of gazelles in Af- 
rica ; it is named by Mr. Pennant the cervine antelope. M. 
Buffon calls it the bubale, and it is supposed to be the bubalus of 
the ancients. Its flesh is very fine, somewhat dry, but of an 
agreeable flavour. 

THE STRIPED ANTELOPE 

Is a tall and beautiful animal, inhabiting the southern parts of 
Africa : it somewhat resembles the white antelope, but is larger : 
it has a longitudinal stripe of white along the back, with eight 
or nine stripes of the same colour diverging from it downwards, 
in the form of ribs. 

THE GEMSEBOEK 

Is another species of antelopes, famous for a concretion in the 
stomach, called the oriental bezoar. The power of expelling 
poison, which ignorance formerly attributed to it, caused it to be 
estimated at an enormous value. Some bezoars have been sold 
as high as 200. Experience, however, has discovered, that its 
virtues are only imaginary, and this once celebrated medicine is 
no longer used in countries where the study of nature has dis- 
pelled the mists of ignorance. 

These descriptions of the principal distinctions of the gazelle, 
or antelope kind, are taken from that accurate and indefatigable 
investigator of nature, Dr. Sparman, who, from his residence at 
the Cape, and his active researches, was especially qualified to 
inform us of the nature and qualities of the animals in the south- 
ern parts of Africa. He mentions a number of other varieties 



62 THE ANTELOPES. 

of the antelope, without entering into any details of their charac- 
teristics or qualities. Indeed, the most laborious naturalist must 
leave something imperfect. The beauties of the creation, both 
in the conformation of animals and the disposition of inanimrte 
matter, are innumerable, and the ever-varying forms of Nature 
baffle discrimination, and exhaust description. 

Other naturalists have added descriptions of the other ani- 
mals of the antelope kind, which have been described by natu- 
ralists ; it will, in this compendium, suffice to mention the names 
as the reebok, the grysbok, the klipspringer, the gnu, the steen- 
bok, and the nanguer. We shall only remark, that 

THE COMMON ANTELOPE, 

Which abounds in all the northern part of Africa, is some- 
what less than the fallow deer ; that its horns, which are remark- 
able for a beautiful double flexion, are about fifteen inches long, 
and surrounded with prominent rings almost to the top, where 
they are about a foot distant from point to point, and that its 
colour is brown, mingled with red on the back, and white on the 
belly and inside of the thighs. The Barbary antelope, which is 
also very common, not only in the northern parts of Africa, but 
also in Syria and Mesopotamia, seems only to be a variety of the 
last-mentioned animal, to which it bears a striking resemblance. 

THE CHEVROTAIN, OR LITTLE GUINEA DEER, 

Cannot, however, be omitted, as it is not only the smallest, 
but also the most beautiful of all the antelope kind, and indeed 
of all cloven-footed quadrupeds. It is no larger than a half- 
grown cat, but in its shape it is elegant beyond description. Its 
fore-legs, at the smallest part, do not much exceed the thickness 
of a tobacco-pipe : its horns are straight, scarcely two inches 
long, and of a shining jet black. The colour of some of these 
elegant little animals, is a reddish brown, of others, a beautiful 
yellow, and their hair is short and exceeding glossy. These 
handsome little creatures are natives of Senegal, and other hot 
parts of Africa. They are also found in India, as well as in 
Ceylon, and many other of the oriental islands ; but they can 
subsist only in a hot climate, and are too delicate to be kept alive 
in Europe. 

These are only a few of the varieties of the gazelle kind, of 
which the ramifications and subdivisions are almost innumerable. 
They are, however, sufficient to excite an admiration of the un- 
limited power, incomprehensible wisdom, and diffusive goodness 
of the great Creator, displayed in the prolific energy of Nature. 



CHAPTER IX. 
THE 



" Unharbour'd now, the royal stag 1 forsakes 
His wonted lair ; he shakes his dappled sides, 
And tosses high his beamy head the copse 
Beneath his antlers bends." SOMERVILLE. 

WE now turn our attention to a race of animals, which seem 
designed by the Creator to embellish the forest and animate the 
solitude of uncultivated nature. The deer, inoffensive and peace- 
able, elegant and active, cannot be viewed without pleasure; and 
the branching antlers of the Stag, apparently calculated for or- 
nament, rather than for either aggression or defence, render him, 
if not one of the most useful quadrupeds, at least one of the 
most superb and beautiful forms of the animal creation. These 
horns of the stag, are the index of his age : the first year ex- 
hibits only a short protuberance ; the second year, the horns are 
straight and single ; the third, produces two antlers ; the fourth, 
three, and the fifth, four. After the stag has attained his sixth 
year, the number of his antlers being sometimes six, and some- 
times seven, cannot be considered as an exact criterion. In the 
beginning of March, the old ones shed their horns, but the young 
ones not before the middle of May. During this troublesome 
period, thy separate themselves from the herd, and wander soli- 
tary and dispirited over the plains, until their antlers are grown, 
and have acquired their complete hardness, expansion, and beauty. 
This operation of Nature is completed about the end of July, 
when the stags leave their retreats, and return to the herds. 

In England, the usual colour of the stag is red, in other coun- 
tries, brown or yellow. His eye is remarkably beautiful, being 
at once brilliant and mildj and both his hearing 1 and smelling are 
extremely acute. The stag is five years in coming to his perfec- 
tion, and lives about thirty-five or forty years. It is now a gene- 
rally received opinion among naturalists, that animals live seven 
times the number of years required to bring them to perfection ; 
but whether this opinion be sufficiently confirmed by experience, 
appears somewhat problematical. 

The hind is the female of the stag : her head is not adorned 
with antlers, and she is smaller than the male. The hind goes 
between eight and nine months with young, arid generally brings 
forth in May or June. She is exceedingly attached to her off- 
spring, and will make the dog, or even the wolf, sometimes give 
back, by her efforts for its preservation, while the stng is so 
unnatural as to be one of its most dangerous enemies ; and he 

E2 



54 THE FALLOW DEER. 

would soon destroy the fawn, if not prevented by the maternal 
care of the dam, in concealing the place of its retreat. 

The following historical fact, shows that the stag is capable of 
an extraordinary degree of courage. Some years ago, a tiger 
and a stag being enclosed in the same area, the stag, when at- 
tacked, made so resolute a defence, that his assailant was obliged 
to desist. During the reigns of our first Norman kings, the pas- 
sion for hunting the stag was carried to such excess, that it was 
esteemed as small a crime to murder one of the human species, 
as to destroy one of these animals. In our island, large tracts 
of land were converted into forests for deer. Happily for man- 
kind, these wide-extended scenes of desolation and oppression, 
have been gradually contracted : agriculture has spread itself 
over the land ; beasts of chase have given way to the ox and the 
sheep, and lowing herds and bleating flocks enliven the face of 
the country, and increase the national wealth. 

THE FALLOW DEER 

Is well known in this country : though it very much resembles 
the stag, they are a distinct species, and so determined an ani- 
mosity exists between them, that, although both are gregarious, 
they will not herd together. The fallow deer is inferior to the 
stag in size and strength : it is seldom found wild in the forest ; 
but it constitutes the ornament of the park. Its horns, instead 
of being round like those of the stag, are broad, palmated at the 
top, and better furnished with antlers. Dissensions about pastur- 
age frequently occur among these animals ; and in such cases, 
the herd divides into two parties, and an obstinate engagement 
ensues, to determine the possession of some favourite part of the 
park. Each party has its leader, which is always the oldest and 
strongest of the herd. They attack in regular order, fight with 
courage, support one another, retreat, rally, and seldom give up 
the contest, in consequence of one defeat. The combat is fre- 
quently renewed several days successively, till, after being re- 
peatedly vanquished, the weaker party is obliged to leave the 
conquerors in possession of the disputed territory. The fallow 
deer goes eight months with young, comes to perfection in three 
years, and lives about twenty. There are many varieties of the 
fallow deer. In England, we have two sorts : the spotted, sup- 
posed to have been brought from Bengal, and the deep brown, 
originally introduced from Norway into this country, by King 
James the First. The Spanish fallow deer are as large as stags. 
There is also a fine breed of this animal in India, which abounds 
in the immense plains on both sides of the Ganges. It is beau- 
tifully spotted, and has horns resembling those of the stag : M. 
Buffon considers it as a middle species, between the fallow deer 



THE ROEBUCK THE ELK. 55 

and the stag. The deer, in its different varieties, is a race of ani- 
mals extensively diffused, and appears to be spread over almost 
every part of the globe. The new world, where neither the 
sb^ep, the goat, nor the gazelle, were originally bred, is known 
tc have been the native abode of the deer. The whole continent 
of America abounds with stags, and other animals of the deer 
kind, in almost all their varieties ; and in some parts, the inhab- 
itants have domesticated them, and find a rich supply of food in 
the milk and cheese which they produce. Thus the same animal, 
which in some countries, contributes only to the amusement of 
man, is in another converted to his use, and supplies his wants. 
This shows the diffusive bounty of the Creator, in rendering the 
stores of Nature so various and abundant, that necessity, if aided 
by industry and skill, is never at a loss for resources. 

THE ROEBUCK 

Is the smallest of the deer kind. Though formerly common, 
the herd is nearly extinct in this country ; but in the mountain- 
ous parts of Scotland, it yet abounds. The form of this animal 
is elegant, and its agility astonishing : it bounds seemingly with- 
out effort, and runs with great speed : in courage it is at least 
equal to the stag, and its subtle artifices, when hunted, are proofs 
of its cunning : it turns repeatedly, till it has, by its various zig- 
zags, entirely confused the scent. The crafty animal thus con 
founds the dogs, until they are completely bewildered. The roe 
bucks do not associate in herds, like other deer, but live in sepa- 
rate tribes. The female goes five months arid a half with young; 
it comes to perfection in two, and lives about fifteen, years. 

THE ELK 

Is a native both of the old and new continent, being known in 
Europe by the name of the Elk, and in America by that of the 
moose deer. It is the largest of all the deer kind, and, accord- 
ing to some accounts, exceeds in size every other quadruped. 
The latter assertion, however, seems to be of doubtful authority; 
for naturalists vary considerably in their descriptions of this ani- 
mal ; and while some aflirm that it grows to the height of twelve 
feet, others describe it as not much exceeding the size of the 
horse. When so much disagreement is found, either in descrip- 
tion or narrative, the degree of credibility remains problemat- 
ical. Those who speak of the enormous moose deer, say, that 
their horns are six feet long, and above ten feet asunder at the 
top ; and from a variety of these horns, preserved in the cabi- 
nets of the curious, there is every reason to conclude, that the 
animal to which they belonged, must have been of an enormous 
size and great strength. Those also, who have traversed and 



56 THE ELK. 

described the interior of North America, assert, that in certain 
places, both horns and bones have been found of a size so enor- 
mous, as to show that they have belonged to an animal of a 
larger species than any now known, and which is supposed to 
be at this time, through some unknown cause, extinct. The 
European elk, however, generally grows to the height only of 
seven or eight feet, and the length of ten feet from the muzzle 
to the rump. Its colour is mostly a hoary brown, and its hair 
long and coarse, like that of the bear. The horns are very large 
and spreading. Its pace is a high trot, shambling and inelegant; 
but it runs with great swiftness. In passing through woods, it 
carries its horns horizontally, in order to prevent them from be- 
ing entangled among the branches. 

In Canada, they have two different methods of hunting the 
elk, which are equally curious. The first is this : before the 
lakes are frozen, a number of inhabitants assemble in canoes, and 
form a vast crescent on the water, each end reaching the shore, 
while a party on the land surround an extensive tract. They are 
attended by dogs, and press forward with loud and clamorous 
shouts. The elks, alarmed by the noise, fly to the lake, and 
plunge into the water, where they are easily killed by the people 
in the canoes. The other method requires more preparation. 
The hunters enclose a large space of ground with stakes and 
branches of trees : the bottom opens into another enclosure, 
which admits of no egress, into which they drive the elks, where 
they are entangled in snares, or shot. The flesh of the elk is ex- 
tremely palatable and nutritive ; the tongue is excellent ; and the 
nose is esteemed the greatest delicacy of Canadian epicurism. 
The skin makes excellent buff leather, being strong, soft, and 
light ; and of it the Indians make their snow-shoes, and sometimes 
their canoes. The elk is an inhabitant of all the northern parts 
of America, and also of Europe and Asia, from Norway to the 
easternmost limits of Chinese Tartary ; but is never found in 
any warm climate. That it once existed in Ireland is evident, 
from the horns which have been dug up in different parts of that 
island, and which, by their enormous size, seem to corroborate the 
almost incredible accounts that some naturalists have given, of 
the magnitude of the largest breed of these animals. 

Elks are the easiest to domesticate and tame, of any of the 
deer kind. They will follow their keeper to any distance from 
home, and return with him at his call, without any difficulty. 
Mr. Hearne informs us, that an Indian, at the factory at Hudson's 
Bay, had, in the year 1777, two of them so tame, that when he 
was on his passage from Prince of Wales' Fort, in a canoe, they 
always followed him along the banks of* the river ; and at night, 
or on any other occasion, when he landed, they generally came 



THE REIN-DEER. 57 

and fondled on him, in the same manner as the most domestic 
animal would have done, and never offered to stray from the 
tents. He did not, however, possess these animals long ; for 
he one day crossed a deep bay, in one of the lakes, in order to 
save a very circuitous route along its bank, and expected the 
creatures would as usual follow him round ; but, unfortunately, 
at night, they did not arrive ; and as the howling of wolves was 
heard, in the quarter where they were, it is supposed they had 
been devoured by them, for they were never afterwards seen. 

THE REIN-DEER 

Must be considered as an animal which merits, in the highest 
degree, the attention of the naturalist, as it exhibits an evident 
and most striking instance of the beneficence of that Being, 
whose omnipotent fiat called all creatures into existence. This 
extraordinary quadruped is a native of the icy regions of the 
north, where, by a wise and bountiful regulation of Providence, 
which diffuses the blessings of creation, in some degree, over 
every part of the habitable world, it exists for the support and 
comfort of a race of men, who, inhabiting a country where the 
beauties of Nature are unknown, and dreary sterility ever reigns, 
would find it impossible to subsist among their frozen lakes and 
snowy mountains, without the advantages which they derive front 
this inestimable domesticated animal. In temperate regions, 
the unbounded liberality of Nature furnishes a profusion of con- 
veniences and comforts, and a variety of supplies for almost 
every want ; but to the Laplander, in his hyperborean abode, 
the horse, the cow, the sheep, and the goat, are all unknown. 
The rein-deer, however, supplies the place of all these useful 
animals. From this single quadruped, the Laplanders, and other 
inhabitants of these frozen regions, derive all those comforts 
that can render existence supportable in that inhospitable climate. 
It' supplies the place of the horse, in conveying them over tracts 
that would otherwise be impassable ; that of the cow, in afford- 
ing them milk ; and that of the sheep, in clothing them, not with 
its fleece, but with its skin : its very sinews supply them with 
thread, and there is scarcely any part of this animal that is not, 
in some degree, conducive to their comfortable existence. 

The rein-deer, in Lapland, are of two kinds the wild and the 
tame ; and the former being the strongest and most hardy, the 
latter are frequently turned into the woods, in order to produce 
a mixed breed ; which is generally preferred, especially for 
drawing the sledge, to which they are trained at an early age. 
They are yoked by a collar, from which a trace passes under 
the belly to the fore-part of the vehicle. These carriages are 
extremely light, and covered at the bottom with a rein-deer's 



58 THE REIN-DEER. 

skin. The person, who sits in the sledge, guides the animal with 
a cord, fastened to its horns, and drives it with a goad. The 
wild kind, when yoked, sometimes prove refractory, turn against 
their master, and strike so furiously with their feet, that he is 
obliged to cover himself with his sledge, until the enraged creature 
has exhausted his fury ; but the tame ones are active and pa- 
tient. A Laplander will, in this manner, travel about thirty 
miles a day, without forcing the rein-deer to make any extraor- 
dinary effort. This mode of travelling can be used only in the 
winter, when the country is covered with snow ; and though it 
is expeditious, it is troublesome, and sometimes dangerous. 

As the rein-deer constitutes the sole riches of the Laplander, 
and is the source of his comforts, it may reasonably be supposed, 
that a constant attention to its preservation is his principal em- 
ployment. As soon as the summer commences, the rein-deer 
are removed from the low pastures, where they would be con- 
stantly tormented by the insects, generated in the woods and 
morasses, and driven up to the mountains, where they are less 
incommoded. The gnat and the gad-fly are their greatest and 
most formidable enemies. Every morning and evening, during 
the summer, the herdsman returns to the cottage with his deer to 
be milked ; and a large fire of moss is made, for the purpose 
of driving off the gnats by the smoke. The quantity of milk, 
afforded in a day by one rein-deer, is about a pint, and it is 
sweeter and more nutritive than that of the cow. The female 
commonly brings forth two young ones at a birth, and the time 
of gestation is eight months. At four years old they are trained to 
labour, and continue serviceable about five years. The period of 
their natural life is about fifteen or sixteen years ; but they are 
commonly killed, for their flesh and their skins, about the age of 
eight or nine. Their flesh is good, and their tongues are 
esteemed a great delicacy. The horns of the rein-deer are long 
and slender, bending forward, with brow antlers, broad and 
palmated. Mr. Bewick says, that a pair in his possession mea- 
sured two feet eight inches in length, and two feet five inches 
from tip to tip, their weight being nine pounds. The projecting 
brow antler was fourteen inches long, one foot broad, and 
serrated at the end. 

The rein-deer is found wild in the northern parts of America, 
and abounds in the vicinity of Hudson's Bay. It is also com- 
mon in all the northern regions of Europe and Asia, from Lap- 
land to Karntschatka. Several of the Laplanders possess herds 
of them to the number of five or six hundred, and some of the 
richest of the Kamtschatdales are said to have several thousands 
It is well known, that of every kind of deer the flesh is exceed 
ingly palatable, wholesome, and nourishing ; in every country, 



THE MUSK. 59 

indeed, venison is esteemed a luxury. How happy a circumstance 
is it, therefore, to the inhabitants of the countries beyond the 
arctic polar circle, that the all-bountiful Creator has furnished 
them with so useful an appendage to human existence, in these 
rigid climates, as the rein-deer, which, after having, during its 
life, so essentially contributed to their comfort, affords them after 
its death so excellent a repast. We have expatiated somewhat 
more largely on this article, as it exhibits so conspicuous an in- 
stance of the diffusive bounty of the Author of Nature, in thus 
providing for the subsistence of all his creatures, in every coun- 
try, and under every climate ; counterbalancing evil with good, 
in more equal proportion, and disseminating his blessings by a 
more impartial distribution, than we should, on a superficial view, 
be inclined to imagine. 



CHAPTER X. 

" And lives the man, whose universal eye 

Has swept at once the unbounded scene of things ; 

Mark'd their dependence so, and firm accord, 

As with unfaltering accent to conclude, 

That tl j availeth nought ?" 

THE curious and singular animals, which are made the sub- 
ject of this chapter, are so imperfectly known to naturalists, 
and their distinguishing characteristics are so mixed and dubious, 
that it has not yet been determined in what class of quadrupeds 
their place ought to be assigned. 

THE MUSK, 

Which is an animal, interesting both in the view of Nature and 
the history of commerce, is found in the kingdom of Tibet, in 
some of the Chinese provinces, in the vicinity of the lake Baikal, 
and near the rivers Jenesea and Argun, from the 60th to the 
45th degree of latitude, although seldom so far south, unless 
when heavy falls of snow prevent it from procuring food in the 
more northern climates. It has no horns, and whether it be a 
ruminating animal is uncertain : it is about two feet high at the 
shoulders ; but its hind-legs are longer than the fore-legs, and it 
resembles the roebuck in form. Its length is about three feet 
from the head to the tail, which latter is not above an inch long. 
Its colour is a rusty brown on the body, but under the belly it is 
white. Upon the whole, it seems chiefly to have an affinity to the 
deer kind. 

This animal is principally remarkable for the perfume it pro- 



60 THE NYL-GHAU. 

duces, which is so well known in the fashionable world, and so 
much used in the practice of physic. This drug is found in a 
bag, or tumor, nearly of the size of a hen's egg, which grows 
on the belly of the male. Of these bags, many thousands are 
annually sent to Europe, besides what are used in the East. 
Tavernier tells us, that, in one journey, he collected 7673 musk- 
bags. To account for this amazing supply, it is by some sup- 
posed, that the musk is often adulterated and mixed with the 
blood of the animal. 

It is generally asserted, that when the musk-bag is first opened, 
so powerful an odour comes from it, that every person present 
is obliged to cover his mouth and nose with several folds of linen; 
and that, notwithstanding this precaution, the blood will fre- 
quently gush from the nose. When the musk is fresh, a very 
small quantity, in a confined place, is insupportable : it causes 
giddiness in the head and haemorrhages, which have sometimes 
proved fatal. 

THE NYL-GHAU 

Is a curious and beautiful animal, which seems to be of a mid- 
dle nature, between the cow and the deer, to both of which it 
bears a resemblance. In size it exceeds the latter, as much as 
it falls short of the former : its body, horns, an * tail, are similar 
to those of the cow; and the head, neck, and legs, resemble those 
of the deer. The colour is generally grey, from the mixture of 
black hairs and white. Along the ridge of the neck, the hair is 
blacker, longer, and more erect, forming a short, thin, and up- 
right mane. Its horns are about seven inches long, and six inches 
in circumference at the base, terminating in an obtuse point. 
The ears are large, broad, and beautiful, being about seven inches 
in length, and of a white colour on the edge and the inside, ex- 
cept where marked in the hollow with two black bands, resem- 
bling the stripes of the zebra. The height of the nyl-ghau has 
been measured, arid found to be four feet. Several of these ani- 
mals were introduced into England in the year 1767, which 
continued to breed annually for some years. They were mild and 
gentle, pleased with familiarity, and fond of licking the hands of 
any person who stroked them, or gave them food, and never in- 
clined to use their horns offensively. Their sense of smelling 
seems very acute, and they snuff exceedingly when any person 
approaches them. In the rutting season, however, they are fierce; 
and a labouring man, having approached the inclosure where 
some of these animals were kept, the nyl-ghau made furiously at 
him, with the rapidity of lightning, and darted against the paling 
with such force as to break one of its horns, which occasioned 
its death. 



THE CAMELEOPARD. 61 

The nyl-ghau is frequently brought from the interior parts of 
India, where it is a native, and presented as a valuable gift to the 
nabob, and other great men, near the coast. Its flesh is esteemed 
delicious food ; and Bernier says, that the Mogul Emperors took 
great delight in hunting this animal, of which they often killed 
great numbers, and distributed their flesh as presents to the 
Omrahs. 

The animals here described, appear to be of a middle race, 
partaking of two different kinds, although it is difficult to deter- 
mine which has the preponderancy. The singular quadruped, 
which will be our next object of attention, has by some been 
also considered as of a middle nature ; but it seems rather to bo 
a distinct genus. 

THE CAMELEOPARD, 

When standing erect, measures in height, to the top of the 
head, seventeen or eighteen feet ; but its hind-legs are little more 
than half as long as the fore ones, a disproportion which pre- 
vents it from running swiftly, and renders its pace waddling and 
inelegant. Its neck is not less than seven or eight feet in length, 
and decorated with a short mane : its head is also adorned with 
two perpendicular horns, covered with hair, and tufted at the 
ends with a circle of short black hairs : its ears are long, and 
its eyes brilliant and large. The colour of this animal is a light 
grey, which, in the male, is interspersed with spots of a dark 
brown colour over the whole body, and of a pale yellow in the 
female. It is a timid and gentle creature, being equally desti- 
tute of the means of attack and defence, and by the dispropor- 
tion of its parts, ill calculated for flight, which is probably the 
cause of its being so rare. It lives wholly on vegetables, rumi- 
nates, and is cloven-footed. 

This singular rarity of animated nature, is found only in the 
most sequestered regions of Africa, (M. Buffon says that it is 
also a native of India) and is very seldom exhibited in Europe, 
It was, however, known to the Romans before the Christian era, 
and exhibited in their public games. History informs us, that 
Pompey produced ten of these extraordinary animals at once, 
in one of the amphitheatres of Rome a striking instance of the 
enormous expense with which the leading men among the Ro- 
mans used to amuse and influence the citizens, by the splendour 
of their public spectacles, and the gratification of popular curi- 
osity. The Cameleopard has, indeed, at all times been regarded 
as a wonderful production of nature, and is well calculated to 
excite our admiration of that almighty and all-creating Power, 
which has replenished the earth with life in such a variety of forms, 

F 



( 62 ) 
CHAPTER XI. 

" Patient of thirst and toil, 

Son of the desert." 

WE come now to the delineation of a species of quadrupeds, 
equally curious and interesting. The Camel and the Dromedary 
are in some countries not less useful and necessary, than the 
horse is in others, and render the most essential services to man, 
in pkces where that noble animal would lose all his utility. 

THE CAMEL 

Is a native of Arabia, and is chiefly confined to that and the 
adjacent countries, where it has, from time immemorial, been 
used in traversing those immense deserts of parched sand, which 
are impassable to every other quadruped except the dromedary, 
which, although distinguished by a different name, is supposed 
to be originally of the same race. The camel is to the Arabian 
what the rein- deer is to the Laplander, and supplies the place of 
the horse, the cow, and the sheep. Its milk is rich and nutritive : 
its flesh, when young, is excellent food, wholesome and'invigo 
rating ; and its hair, or fleece, which falls off always in the spring, 
is manufactured into fine stuffs, and almost every article neces- 
sary for clothing, bedding, and the covering of their tents. To 
comprehend the value of the camel, in those regions where per- 
petual drought and sterility reign, we must figure to ourselves a 
country without verdure and without water, where a clear sky 
and burning sun above, from which no friendly shade affords a 
shelter, parches every living creature with intolerable thirst, 
while an immense expanse of scorched sands beneath presents 
to the eye a dreary scene of barren uniformity, in which no ob- 
ject reminds the traveller of the existence of animated nature. 
Such a rr-> those immense deserts, which the camel and the drom- 
edary alone can traverse. It is, therefore, no wonder, that the 
Arabs regard the camel as an inestimable present from Heaven, 
a sacred animal, without the aid of which he could not subsist 
in those frightful deserts, which secure his independence, and 
surround him with an impregnable rampart. 

In Turkey, Arabia, Persia, and Egypt, their whole commerce 
is carried on by means of those useful animals. The camel, in 
these countries, furnishes the most expeditious and the cheapest 
mode of conveyance. Merchants and travellers form themselves 
into numerous bodies, called caravans, in order to be able to 
protect themselves from the assaults of the formidable banditti 
which infest the borders of the desert. The usual rate of travel 



THE CAMEL. 63 

ling in these caravans, is about twelve or fifteen miles per day, 
each camel carrying about four hundred weight, although the 
large and strong ones can carry above twice as much. They are 
unloaded every night, and suffered to feed at liberty. If they are 
in a part of the country where there is pasture, they eat enough 
in one hour to serve them twenty-four ; but in those journies they 
seldom find any pasturage, and happily, delicate food is not ne- 
cessary to them. Thistles, nettles, furze, and all those coarser 
vegetables, which other animals reject, furnish to the camel a 
dainty repast. 

Although the ordinary rate of travelling on those commercial 
journies, in which the route is frequently of seven or eight hun- 
dred miles, be no quicker than it is here described, their preda- 
tory expeditions are differently conducted. The camel, as well 
as his master, is trained to these scenes of desultory warfare, 
and by every art inured to hunger, thirst, and fatigue. The plun- 
dering Arab will, in one day, if pursued, pass over a tract of 
desert of fifty miles. In this manner he will travel in those dreary 
solitudes ; and during all that time of excessive fatigue, the camels 
are never unloaded; only a single hour of repose, and a ball of 
paste, for food, is allowed them each day. In this manner they 
often journey eight or nine days without meeting with any water, 
and during all this long space of time they can travel without 
drinking, while they carry water mostly in leather bags for the 
use of their masters. It is hence evident, that all the armies 
in the world would be inadequate to the pursuit of a troop of 
Arabs, and would infallibly perish, should they persist in such an 
attempt. 

It is somewhat extraordinary, that the camels, when they ar- 
rive in the vicinity of a spring, or pool of water, discover it by 
it^ .smell at the distance of more than a mile. Thirst then ex- 
cites them to redouble their pace, and when arrived, they drink 
as much as serves them during the rest of their journey, even 
should it continue some weeks, which is not unfrequently the 
case. 

Of all the quadrupeds, with which the earth is replenished, 
the camel is the most tame and submissive : he kneels down to 
be loaded and unloaded, and when overburdened, it makes the 
most piteous complaints, without ever offering the least resist- 
ance to his oppressor. If, however, his patience be extraordi- 
nary, it is much to be feared, that, under the hand of relentless 
man, his sufferings are sometimes extreme. 

Camels have a considerable share of intelligence ; and the 
Arabs assert, that they are so extremely sensible of injustice and 
ill-treatment, that when this is carried too far, the inflicter will 
riot find it easy to escape their vengeance, and that they will re- 



64 THE CAMEL. 

tain the remembrance of an injury till an opportunity offers for 
gratifying their revenge. Eager, however, to express their re- 
sentment, they no longer retain any rancour, when once they 
are satisfied ; and it is even sufficient for them to believe they 
have satisfied their vengeance. When an Arab, therefore, has 
excited the rage of a camel, he throws down his garments in 
some place near which the animal is to pass, and disposes them 
in such a manner that they appear to cover a man sleeping un- 
der them. The animal recognizes the clothes, seizes them in his 
teeth, shakes them with violence, and tramples on them in a rage. 
When his anger is appeased, he leaves them, and then the owner 
of the garments may make his appearance without any fear, load, 
and guide him as he pleases. " I have sometimes seen them," 
says M. Sonnini, " weary of the impatience of their riders, stop 
short, turn round their long necks to bite them, and utter cries 
of rage. In these circumstances, the man must be careful not 
to alight, as he would infallibly be torn to pieces : he must also 
refrain from striking his beast, as that would but increase his 
fury. Nothing can be done, but to have patience, and appease 
the animal by patting him with the hand, (which frequently re- 
quires some time,) when he will resume his way and his pace of 
himself." Like the elephant, camels have their periodical fits 
of rage, and during these they sometimes have been known to 
take up a man in their teeth, throw him on the ground, and 
trample him under their feet. 

If we view, with a philosophic eye, the singular conformation 
of the camel, scepticism itself can scarcely call in question the 
evident marks which it bears of a regular design, in an organi- 
zation so wonderfully adapted to the purposes for which it is des- 
tined, and to the place which it is appointed to hold in the sys- 
tem of animated nature. Its feet are peculiarly adapted to the 
soil on which he is to tread. They are liable to be injured by 
travelling on stones, and he cannot well support kimself on moist 
and slippery clays ; but his broad hoofs are perfectly calculated 
,for travelling on the dry and parched sands of Arabia. But the 
peculiar and distinguished characteristic of the camel, is its 
faculty of abstaining from water longer than any other animal 
a property so necessary in those immense deserts. For this, Na- 
ture has wonderfully provided, by a singular internal conforma- 
tion ; for, besides the four stomachs, which he has in common 
with other ruminating animals, he is also furnished with a fifth 
bag, that serves as a reservoir for water, where it remains un- 
corrupted, and without mixing with the other aliments. When 
the camel is pressed with thirst, or has need of water to moisten 
hib aliment, in chewing the cud, he draws up into the stomach, 
or even into the throat, a part of this reserve. Furnished with 



THE DROMEDARY. 65 

so capacious and so convenient a receptacle, he can take a pro- 
digious quantity of water at once, and remain many days with- 
out drinking. 

When travellers find themselves greatly in want of water, it 
is not unusual for them to kill a camel to obtain what its stomach 
contains, which is always sweet and wholesome. Aristotle says, 
that the camel always disturbs the water with its feet before it 
drinks : if this be the case, which, it must be confessed, is very 
doubtful, it is no doubt intended to drive away the almost innu- 
merable swarms of insects, with which the waters of warm cli- 
' mates abound. 

Among all the forms of animal life, which Nature in her im- 
mense variety exhibits, there is none that more conspicuously 
displays the justness of design, and perfect adaptation to the cir- 
cumstances of its existence, and to the service of man, than the 
rein-deer and the camel ; without the former, life could not be 
supported among the snowy mountains and frozen bogs of Lap- 
land, and without the latter, fhe sandy deserts of Arabia would 
be impassable. Few attempts have been made, to transplant the 
rein-deer into more temperate regions ; but of these few, none 
have yet succeeded : frequent trials have been made, to intro- 
duce the camel into other countries, but without effect. Though 
a native of a warm climate, the camel is not found in the tropical 
regions : it cannot subsist and propagate, either in the suffocating 
heat of the torrid, or the milder air of the temperate zone. The 
rein-deer is confined to the hyperborean climates, and seems in- 
capable of subsisting under a more genial sky. Both the one 
and the other appear evidently designed by Providence, for the 
servi e and solace of man, in those countries where no other 
animals are qualified to supersede their utility. 

THE DROMEDARY 

Is not a different species, but only a distinct breed of the 
camel. They herd and propagate together, and the production, 
which is also prolific, is improved by various intermixtures, and 
generally esteemed of greater value than either of the original 
breeds. The Dromedary is inferior in size and strength, but 
swifter in pace, and is beyond comparison more numerous, and 
more extensively diffused, than the camel ; the latter being sel- 
dom found, except in Arabia, and some parts of the Levant, 
while the former extends over very spacious regions, and is com- 
mon in Egypt, and all the northern parts of Africa, as well as in 
Persia, and some parts of Tartary and India. But the pecu- 
liarly distinguishing characteristic of the two races, is, that the 
dromedary has two hunches on the back, while the camel has 
only one : the former is also much swifter than the latter, and 

F2 



66 THE LAMA, 

will carry a man an hundred miles a day, for nine or ten days 
together, through uninhabitable deserts of parched sand, re- 
quiring neither whip nor spur to quicken its pace. Both the 
dromedary and camel are extremely sensible of good treatment, 
and in pursuing their fatiguing journies, are much enlivened by 
singing, or the sound of the pipe. Not many of the females are 
put to labour, being generally kept for the purpose of breed- 
ing. They usually produce one at a birth : the time of gesta- 
tion, of both the camel and the dromedary, is twelve months : 
the period of its attainment to full strength and perfection, is the 
age of six years, and the duration of its life is reckoned from 
forty to fifty years. 

As the dromedary is only a variety of the camel, the same re- 
flections on the gracious dispensation of an all-wise Providence 
must again occur, in contemplating the varied bounties of the 
Creator, in forming two different tribes of this excellent quad- 
ruped, and assigning to one a more confined, and to the other a 
more extensive, sphere of utility. 

Our attention is next called to a quadruped, which, from the 
similarity of its qualities to those of the species just presented 
to view, has obtained the appellation of the Camel of the new 
world; and in regard to its utility, making allowances for its in- 
feriority in size and strength, is little less valuable than that of 
the old continent. 

THE LAMA, 

Of Peru and Chili, resembles, in its shape, the Arabian camel, 
but is destitute of the dorsal hunch : its height is from three to 
four feet : its neck is long, its head small, and its colour white, 
black, or russet, or a mixture of all these dispersed in spots. 
The female produces only one at a birth. The duration of the 
life of this animal is about twelve years, and its disposition is 
gentle, patient, and tractable. 

The Lama was the only beast of burden which America origin- 
ally produced ; and, notwithstanding the introduction of mules, 
is still used for the conveyance of merchandise, Boliver says, 
that, in his time, three hundred thousand of these animals were 
employed in carrying the silver ore, dug out of the mines of 
Potosi, over the rugged hills and narrow paths of the Andes. 
They are exceedingly sure-footed, and with a load of about an 
hundred weight, will climb the most craggy rocks, and descend 
the steepest precipices. In their journies, they will sometimes 
walk four or five days successively, before they seem desirous of 
repose ; and they then rest spontaneously twenty or thirty hours, 
before they resume their toil. Sometimes, when they are inclined 
to rest a few minutes only, they bend their knees, and lower their 



THE PACOS. 67 

bodies with great care, to prevent their load from falling off, or 
being deranged: when, however, they hear their conductor's 
whistle, they rise with equal precaution, and proceed on their 
journey. In going along in the day, they browse wherever they 
find herbage, and generally spend the night in chewing the cud. 
If their masters continue to abuse them, after they are deter- 
mined not to rise, they are said sometimes to kill themselves, in 
their rage, by striking their heads alternately, from right to left, 
on the ground. 

The wild lamas, called guanacos, are stronger and more active 
than the domestic breed. They associate in herds, and inhabit 
the highest regions of the Cordeliers des Andes, where their 
retreats are inaccessible to dogs, and therefore the most usual 
method of killing them is by shooting. They are hunted for their 
flesh and their hair : the former is said to be as good as mutton, 
and the latter is manufactured into cloth. The lama resembles 
the camel in its faculty of abstaining a long time from water, as 
well as in the nature of its food, which is of the coarsest kind. 
They have neither corn nor hay allowed them, and a very small 
quantity of coarse herbage is sufficient for their support. 

THE PACOS 

Is a native of the same countries as the lama, and seems to be 
only a variety of the same species, although a much smaller 
breed. Its body is covered with very fine long wool, of a dull 
purple colour, resembling dried roses, which constitutes a valu- 
able article of commerce, and is manufactured into gloves, stock- 
ings, carpets, &c. The Pacos associate in numerous herds upon 
the most elevated parts of the Andes, where they are almost in 
accessible, and endure the ulrnost severity of those frozen re- 
gions. The manner of taking them by the natives, is singular. 
They tie cords, with small pieces of cloth or wool, hanging 
loosely from them, across the narrow passes of the mountains, 
about three feet, from the ground. They then drive a herd of 
these animals towards them, and they are so terrified by the flut- 
tering of the rags, which they dare not pass, that they crowd 
together in great numbers, and are taken without difficulty. 

The pacos, like the lama, is domesticated, and sometimes used 
for carrying burdens ; but it cannot bear more than sixty or 
seventy pounds, and is less tractable and patient than the lama. 

The great advantages derived from the wool of these animals, 
induced the Spaniards to attempt their introduction into Europe. 
Some of them were brought into Spain ; but through misman- 
agement, or some other cause, the experiment did not succeed. 



( 68 ) 
CHAPTER XII, 
THE HOG. 

" How instinct varies in the grovelling swine, 
ComparM, half-reasoning elephant, with thine." 

WE now proceed to the description of a kind of quadruped 
which seem to occupy, in the scale of animated nature, a middle 
place, between the herbivorous and the carnivorous race, and 
unite in themselves most of those distinctions which are peculiar 
to these two grand divisions of the animal kingdom. The Hog, 
in all its varieties, although inferior in utility to the horse, the 
cow, and the sheep ; neither rendering us any service in the 
plough or draught ; affording us neither milk, butter, nor cheese; 
nor furnishing any warm and woolly fleece for our clothing, is, 
notwithstanding, highly estimable in supplying us with excellent 
food ; and its value is not a little enhanced by the shortness of 
the time requisite for its growth and fattening. 

The Hog does not ruminate, but resembles the ruminating 
animals, in dividing the hoof, and preferring a vegetable diet ; 
and it partakes of the nature of the carnivorous race, in relishing 
animal food. In the length of the head, and in having only a 
single stomach, it exhibits a similarity to the horse : in its cloven 
hoof, we trace a resemblance to the cow; and it approxi- 
mates to the claw-footed kind, by its appetite for flesh, and its 
numerous progeny. Thus the species serves to fill up the chasm 
between carnivorous animals and those which feed upon herbage. 
This animal, producing from ten to twenty young at a birth, forms 
also a remarkable exception to the two general rules of nature ; 
that the largest animals produce the fewest young, and that, of 
all quadrupeds, those which have claws are the most prolific. 

THE COMMON HOG 

Is so well known, that any description of it would be super- 
fluous, and a few general observations are all that are requisite 

In no instance has Nature more conspicuously displayed her 
economy, than in forming this race of animals, and endowing 
them with an appetite to feed on a variety of things that would 
otherwise be wasted. The refuse of the kitchen, the barn, the 
garden, or the field, affords the swine a luxurious repast. It is 
restless in stormy weather, and seems particularly terrified, or 
affected, when the wind is extremely violent. At such times, it 
will often run screaming about, and appear much agitated. 



THE COMMON HOG. 69 

In observing the disgusting appearance of this animal, its vo- 
racious appetite, and its dirty manner of feeding and living, it 
would scarcely be supposed that its flesh could have so excellent 
a flavour ; and if a man were wholly unacquainted with the na- 
ture of all quadrupeds, the hog would certainly be one of the 
last that he would select for his table. 

Under this unpromising exterior, however, Nature has con- 
cealed one of the most valuable articles of our food. The flesh 
of this animal is of general use, and of great importance to this 
country, as a commercial nation. Linnasus says, that it is a 
wholesome food for those who use much exercise, but pernicious 
to such as lead a sedentary life. 

The domestic sow brings forth twice a year, ten or twenty at 
each time, the period of gestation being something more than four 
months. She is an unnatural mother, and if not carefully watched, 
will frequently devour her own offspring. After a few days, how- 
ever, she seems to imbibe a tolerable degree of maternal ten- 
derness. The boar is equally, or still more, the enemy of the 
young, and if not prevented, would immediately destroy the whole 
litter. 

As the hog is one of the most prolific animals of the creation, 
it is also one of those which are the most extensively diffused. 
It is found in every latitude, except within the frigid zone, and 
thrives in every temperate climate ; and it appears somewhat 
singular, that it is disseminated in most of the sequestered islands 
of the Pacific Ocean, although it did not exist in America, until 
transplanted thither by the Spaniards. In many parts of that 
continent, the hogs have now so exceedingly multiplied, that they 
run wild in the woods ; but how, or when, they were first intro- 
duced into the islands of the South Sea, is a problem that will 
scarcely ever be solved. 

The learned pigs which have frequently been exhibited, might 
suffice to prove that these animals are not destitute of sagacity; 
but the following instance, related by the Rev. Mr. Daniel, is too 
singular to be passed over in silence : A game-keeper of Sir 
Henry Mildmay, broke a black sow to find game, and actually 
rendered her as staunch as any pointer. After Sir Henry's death, 
this animal was sold by auction for a very considerable sum. 

In the island of Minorca, hogs are frequently yoked with asses, 
or young horses, in ploughing the land; and in some parts ofitaly 
they are used in hunting for truffles, which grow some inches 
under the surface of the ground, but which are soon discovered 
by the acute scent of these creatures. 



70 THE WILD BOAR. 

THE WILD BOAR 

Is the original stock of our common swine ; and the differ- 
ence between them is only such as may readily be supposed be- 
tween the wild and the domesticated state. The wild is smaller 
than the tame boar ; but his most distinguishing characteristics 
are his formidable tusks, which in some are almost a foot long, 
and exceedingly sharp : those of the under jaw are most to be 
dreaded, as with them he does the greatest mischief. 

These animals, when young, keep together along with the old 
ones ; when attacked, the strongest face the danger, and form 
themselves into a ring, the weakest falling into the centre ; and 
in this position, few beasts of prey dare venture to engage them. 

When the boar is arrived at a state of maturity, he ranges the 
forest alone and fearless, dreading no single adversary. He 
offends no animal whatever, but is at the same time a terror to 
the fiercest of those that would offer him any injury. 

The hunting of the wild boar, although exceedingly danger- 
ous, constitutes one of the principal amusements of the great, in 
those countries where he is to be found. But the dogs used for 
this sport, should be of a slow, strong, and heavy kind. 

When the boar is roused, he moves forward at a slow pace, 
and, but little afraid of his pursuers, often turns and waits until 
the dogs come up, and offers to attack them : the wary animals, 
however, fully sensible of the ferocity of the enemy with whom 
they have to contend, draw back, arid decline the engagement. 
The boar then again proceeds slowly, and the dogs renew the 
pursuit, which ia thus continued with many intervals. At last, 
when the boar begins to be fatigued, the dogs rush in upon him 
from behind. Many of those which are young and inexperienced, 
lose their lives in the attack ; but others that are older, and well 
trained to the sport, hold him at bay, until the hunters come up, 
and kill him with their lances and spears. - 

In Europe, the wild boar is much less common than formerly; 
and in a century or two, will probably be extinct : but there ex- 
ists, in the -hottest parts of Africa, a fierce and formidable race 
of these animals, called the wood swine, which will attack a man 
on horseback, if he venture to approach one of them ; and first 
breaking the legs of the horse with his tusks, will quickly de- 
stroy both him and his rider. 

In the year 1765, a boar of this species was sent to the Prince 
of Orange, from the Cape of Good Hope. His eyes were so 
situated, as to prevent his seeing around him, being interrupted 
by the prominences of his face; but his senses of hearing and 
smelling were extremely acute. His food was principally grain 
and roots ; and he always supported himself on the knees of Lis 



THE "PECCARY THE BARBGROUSA. 71 

fore-feet, in the acts of eating and drinking. His motions were 
more neat and agile than those of the common hog ; and from 
confinement and attention, he became gentle, and would allow 
himself to be stroked : but when offended, he assumed so fierce 
an aspect, that even the persons to whose care he was intrusted, 
dare not approach him. When occasionaHy set at liberty, he 
would frisk about with the utmost gaiety ; and sometimes pursue 
the fallow deer, or other animals. 

THE PECCARY OF MEXICO, 

Is an animal very much resembling the hog ; but as they will 
not breed together, it appears to be a distinct species. 

These animals live chiefly in mountainous places, and feed on 
fruits and roots : they also eat serpents, lizards, and toads, and 
are very dexterous in first taking off the skins with their fore- 
feet and their teeth. 

The whole body of this animal is covered with strong bristles, 
which, when he is irritated, rise erect, like the bristles of a 
hedge-hog. 

These animals are exceedingly fierce. M. de la Borde relates, 
that, being once engaged in hunting a drove of peccaries, he and 
his party were surrounded by them, and obliged to take refuge 
upon a fragment of rocks ; and although they kept up a constant 
fire among them, the ferocious creatures did not retire until many 
of them were killed. 

THE BARBGROUSA, 

Although commonly classed with the hog kind, differs, in many 
particulars, from that quadruped, especially in the length of its 
legs, the slenderness of its body, and the texture of its hair, 
which is soft and fine, resembling wool, and of a dark grey colour, 
mixed with red. 

The most striking characteristic of the hog, observable in this 
animal, is its tusks, which resemble those of the wild boar, and 
are of the most beautiful kind of ivory. 

The barbgrousa is a gregarious animal : it is easily tamed ; 
its flesh is well tasted, and its body emits an exquisite scent. It 
exists in different parts of Asia and Africa, and is very common 
in several of the Oriental islands, especially in that of Borneo. 
This animal is, by some travellers, said to repose in a very sin- 
gular manner, by fixing one of its upper tusks on the branch of 
a tree, and suffering its body to hang down. In this posture, 
suspended by a single tooth, it will remain a whole night, secure 
from every danger. 

These kinds of quadrupeds already enumerated, and briefly 
described, are those which are chiefly useful to man, in affording 



72 THE ELEPHANT. 

him their assistance, supplying him with food, and furnishing him 
with clothing. We shall now proceed to the inspection of a nu- 
merous race of different kinds, which seem created rather for 
themselves than for us ; but which still contribute to show the 
diffusive goodness, as well as the unlimited power, of the Creator, 
in bestowing the blessing of existence on so great a variety of 
creatures, and so amply providing for their support. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

THE ELEPHANT. 

11 Peaceful, beneath primeval trees, that cast 
Their ample shade o'er Niger's yellow stream, 
And where the Ganges rolls his sacred wave, 
Or mid the central depth of black 'ning woods. 
High raised in solemn theatre around, 
Leans the huge elephant ; wisest of brutes, 
O truly wise, with gentle might endowed ; 
Though powerful, not destructive !" THOMSON. 

IN the present chapter, is exhibited to our view, one of the 
most wonderful objects of animated nature. 

The wisdom and goodness of the great Creator, are clearly 
visible, in the formation of those creatures, which have already 
been offered for consideration ; but the same divine attributes 
are not less conspicuous in a number of others, and particularly 
in the ponderous and unwieldy 

ELEPHANT, 

Which, in size and strength, surpasses all terrestrial animals, 
and in sagacity is inferior only to man ; although some assert 
the superiority of the moose but this opinion seems erroneous, 
or at least very doubtful. The human race excepted, the elephant, 
indeed, is the most respectable, as well as the most wonderful of 
creatures, endowed with life and sensation. 

This wonderful quadruped is a native of Asia and Africa, but 
is most numerous in the latter. In the extensive regions which 
lie between the river Senegal and the Cape of Good Hope, ele- 
phants abound more than in any other part of the world, and are 
also less fearful of man ; for the savage inhabitants of those 
countries, instead of attempting to subdue this powerful animal, 
and render him subservient to their necessities, seem only desi- 
rous of avoiding his anger. In the countries near the Cape, 
elephants are seen in large herds, consisting of many hundreds ; 



THE ELEPHANT. 73 

and in the vast regions of Monomotapa, Monocmuci, and other 
parts of the interior of Africa, they are probably still more nu- 
merous. 

A creature so extraordinary in its structure and qualities, 
merits to be somewhat particularly described, although no de- 
scription can convey an adequate idea of its magnitude, unless 
the animal itself has been presented to the view. 

At the Cape, the height of the elephant is from twelve to fif- 
teen feet. His eyes are, in proportion to his size, very small, but 
lively, brilliant, and full of expression : his ears are very large, 
long and pendulous ; but he can raise them with great facility, 
and make use of them as a fan to cool himself, and drive away 
the flies, or insects. His hearing is remarkably fine : he delights 
in the sound of musical instruments, to which he is easily brought 
to move in cadence. His sense of smelling is equally delicate; 
for he is highly delighted with the scent of odoriferous herbs. In 
each jaw he has four grinders, one of which sometimes measures 
nine inches in breadth, and weighs four pounds and a half. The 
texture of the skin is uneven and wrinkled, and full of deep fis- 
sures, resembling the bark of an old tree. The colour is tawny, 
inclining to grey. The legs of this animal are massy columns 
of three or four feet in circumference, and five or six in height. 
Its feet are rounded at the bottom, divided into five toes, covered 
with skin, so as not to be visible, and terminated in a nail or 
hoof of a horny substance. His body is remarkably round and 
bulky, and nearly destitute of hair. ^ 

The proboscis, or trunk, is the most singular and peculiar 
characteristic of this extraordinary quadruped ; and of all the 
instruments which the superabundant wisdom and goodness of 
the Creator has bestowed on the various forms of animal life, this 
is perhaps the most complete and the most admirable. -It is com- 
posed of nerves, membranes, and sinews, and is the organ of 
smelling, feeding, and action, as the animal can bend, contract^ 
lengthen, and turn it in every direction. 

This fleshly tube terminates in a protuberance, which stretches 
out on the upper side in the form of a finger, and possesses, in 
a considerable degree, the dexterity of that useful member of the 
human body. With this instrument, the animal can lift from the 
ground the smallest piece of money, select herbs and flowers, 
untie knots, and grasp any thing so firmly, that no force can tear 
it from his grasp. 

At the end of this trunk are placed the nostrils through which 
he draws in water, for the purpose of quenching his thirst, or of 
washing and cooling himself, whLh he performs by taking in a 
large quantity, and then spouting it out over his whole body, as 
if it issued from a fountain. 

G 



74 THE ELEPHANT. 

The extremes of cold and heat, seem equally to affect these 
animals : to avoid the latter, they seek the thickest shade, or re- 
tire to large rivers, in which they bathe, and sometimes amuse 
themselves, for several hours together, with swimming. 

Though the elephant is so wonderfully aided by his trunk, in 
such a variety of operations, yet, with respect to the rest of his 
conformation, he is clumsy and unwieldy ; he goes forward, how- 
ever, with ease and celerity, and in walking or running, is equal 
in speed to the generality of horses ; but he turns with difficulty, 
and not without taking a pretty large circuit. His neck is so 
short, that he can scarcely turn his head, and must wheel round 
in order to survey an enemy in the rear ; and his legs are so stiff, 
as scarcely to bend when he is advanced in years, so that when 
that period arrives, he is obliged to repose himself standing. 

These quadrupeds subsist wholly on vegetables, and appear to 
have an antipathy against animal food. They associate in nu- 
merous herds, and when one of them happens to discover a plen- 
tiful pasture, he instantly gives a loud signal to the rest, as an 
invitation to partake of his luxurious fare. The meadows, how- 
ever, must be equally fertile and extensive, to furnish a numerous 
herd with a competent supply ; and for that reason they often 
seek fresh pasturage, and do incredible damage whenever they 
stray into cultivated grounds, not only devouring vast quantities 
of food, but also destroying, by the enormous weight of their 
bodies, more than they eat. 

The inhabitants of the countries where they abound, use every 
artifice to prevent the approach of these unwelcome visitants, 
making loud noises, and kindling large fires round their habita- 
tions : but, notwithstanding all their precautions, the elephants 
sometimes break in upon them, and destroy their harvest. It is 
very difficult to repel these formidable invasions ; for the whole 
herd advances together, and whether they attack, mar^h. or fly, 
they generally act in concert. 

Although the elephant be indisputably the strongest, as well as 
the largest of all quadrupeds, yet in its native woods and deserts 
it is neither formidable nor ferocious, but mild and peaceable in 
its disposition, equally fearless and inoffensive ; and when tamed 
by man, and tutored by his instructions, the noble animal sub- 
mits to the most painful drudgery, and is so attentive to the com 
mands of its master, that a word, or a look, is sufficient to stimu- 
late him to extraordinary exertion. 

Of all the animals that have been subjugated by the human 
race, the elephant is universally allowed to be the most tractable 
and obedient. When treated with kindness, he testifies his grati- 
tude by fulfilling all the desires of his keeper, caresses him with 
affectionate fondness, receives his commands with attention, and 



THE ELEPHANT. 75 

executes them with punctuality and zeal. He bends the knee 
for the accommodation of those who wish to mount upon his 
back, suffers himself to be harnessed, and seems to delight in the 
finery of his trappings. 

These animals are used in drawing chariots, wagons, and 
various sorts of machines, one elephant drawing as much as six 
horses, and are of great use in carrying large quantities of lug- 
gage across rivers. They can travel near a hundred miles a day, 
and fifty or sixty regularly, without any violent effort. 

The elephant is as magnanimous as he is mild, and ever will- 
ing to exert his extraordinary strength. We are told, that in 
India, where these creatures were once employed in launching 
ships, one of them was directed to force into the water a large 
vessel, which proving a task superior to his strength, the master 
said, in an angry tone, " Take away that lazy beast, and bring 
another." The poor elephant immediately redoubled its efforts, 
fractured its skull, and died on the spot. 

The Indians have, from time immemorial, employed elephants 
in their wars : Porus, with eighty-five of them, opposed Alex- 
ander's passage over the Hydaspes. M. Buffon, with very great 
appearance of probability, supposes, that it was some of the 
elephants taken by that monarch in his Indian expedition, and 
transported into Greece, that Pyrrhus afterwards brought against 
the Romans. Since the introduction of fire-arms, however, ele- 
phants have been of little use in deciding the contests of men ; 
for, being terrified by the explosion of artillery, they are soon 
thrown into confusion, and, becoming ungovernable, often tram- 
ple down those ranks which they were brought into the field to 
defend. They are now chiefly kept for the purposes of labour, 
or of magnificent parade. They are likewise made use of in the 
East, as the executioners of criminals a business which they 
perform with singular dexterity, breaking, at the word of com- 
mand, the limbs of the condemned wretch with their trunks, or 
trampling him under their feet, and prolonging his sufferings, or 
accelerating his death, according to the directions of their keepers. 

In Siam, Pegu, Tonquin, and Cochin China, elephants are still 
esteemed a valuable auxiliary in war, as well as an essential ap- 
pendage to despotic magnificence and ostentatious parade ; and 
the princes of those countries are attended on their tours by 
some hundreds of these enormous animals, for the purpose of 
conveying the ladies of the seraglio, as well as the immense 
quantities of baggage, which those eastern sovereigns always 
carry along with them. 

The manner of taking and taming animals of so prodigious a 
strength as might seem to set all human power at defiance, is so 
curious, that it merits a few moments' attention. 



76 THE ELEPHANT. 

In the midst of some forest, abounding with elephants, a large 
piece of ground is marked out, and surrounded with strong pal- 
isades, interwoven with large branches of trees : one end of 
this inclosure is narrow, from which it opens gradually, so as to 
take in a considerable extent of country. On this occasion, 
some thousands of men are employed, who place themselves in 
such a manner as to prevent the wild elephants from making 
their escape. They then kindle large fires, of which these ani- 
mals are exceedingly afraid, and make, at the same time, a dread- 
ful noise with drums, and other discordant instruments, to increase 
their terror. Another party, consisting of some thousands, with 
the aid of tame female elephants, trained for the purpose, drive 
the wild ones slowly towards the entrance of the inclosure, the 
whole train of hunters closing in after them, shouting and making 
loud noises, till they are driven, by insensible degrees, into the 
narrow part, through which there is an opening into a smaller 
space, strongly fenced in and guarded on all sides. As soon as 
one of the wild elephants enters this narrow passage, a strong 
bar closes it from behind, and he finds himself completely en- 
vironed. 

On the top of this passage, some of the huntsmen stand with 
goads in their hands, urging the animal forward to the end of 
the passage, where there is just room enough for him to go 
through. He is then received into the custody of two tame 
elephants, which stand one on each side, and press him into the 
service : if he be likely to prove refractory, they begin to beat 
him with their trunks, till he is reduced to obedience, and suffers 
himself to be led to a tree, where he is bound by the leg with 
stout thongs made of untanned elk-skin. The tame elephants 
are then led back to the inclosure ; and other wild ones are 
brought to submission in the same manner. 

They are all suffered to remain fast to the trees for several 
days. Attendants are placed by the side of each elephant, thus 
caught and confined, who supply him by little and little with 
food, till he is gradually brought to be sensible of kindness and 
caresses. In the space of fourteen days, his subjugation is com- 
pleted. He then becomes attached to his keeper, and quietly 
resigns his prodigious strength to the service of man. 

It is a singular circumstance in the history of this extraordi- 
nary quadruped, that, in a state of subjection, it is invariably 
barren ; and though it has for ages been reduced under the do- 
minion of man, it has never been known to breed ; it conse- 
quently follows, that of the vast quantities of elephants tamed 
and trained to human purposes, there is not one that has not 
been originally wild : this would seem to indicate that it is not 
one of the creatures which nature primarily designed for the 



THE ELEPHANT. 77 

service of man. It is, however, certain, that it is in an eminent 
degree capable of a secondary application to his purposes. The 
immense quantity of forage it requires, plainly shows that it is 
not an animal of general use in a domestic state ; and even in 
the countries where they most abound, and are most used, they 
are seldom kept, except by the great and opulent. As they do 
not propagate in a domestic state, the eastern princes are obliged 
to send every year into the forests, to procure fresh supplies, to 
make up the deficiencies of number unavoidably occasioned by 
age, disease, or accident. They are frequently hunted by the 
Dutch colonists at the Cape of Good Hope, who make great 
advantage of their teeth. The largest teeth weigh a hundred 
and fifty Dutch pounds, and are sold for as many guilders ; so 
that an expert shooter may, at one shot, earn three hundred 
guilders. It is not, therefore, to be wondered at, that a traffic 
so lucrative should tempt them to run great risks. 

In approaching this animal, great care must be taken ; for if 
the elephant discover his enemy, he rushes out upon him. 

One of these hunters, being on a plain, under the shelter of a 
few scattered trees, thought he should be able to approach near 
enough to shoot at an elephant that was at a little distance from 
him. The animal, however, discovered, pursued, and overtook 
him, and, laying hold of him with his trunk, instantly beat him 
to death. The elephant, however, although thus terrible when 
provoked, never attacks any but those who have given him of- 
fence, or are preparing for his destruction. 

We cannot omit to mention an extraordinary phenomenon of 
natural history, which has often excited the curiosity, and so well 
merits the attention, of those who inquire into the works of 
Nature. 

Teeth of this animal have been found in a fossil state, in places 
where we can scarcely suppose it possible that it should ever 
have existed. Some years ago, two great grinding teeth, and 
part of the tusk of an elephant, were discovered at the depth of 
forty-two yards in a lead mine in Flintshire, lying in a bed of 
gravel. The grinders were almost as perfect as if just taken 
from the living elephant ; but the tusk was much decayed, and 
very soft. How they came into such a situation, is a problem 
that neither historians nor naturalists can solve ; and the cir- 
cumstance appears upon the whole so extraordinary, that it can 
scarcely be considered as any other than a " lusus nature" 

Near the banks of several rivers of Siberia, tusks and teeth 
have frequently been dug up, which were formerly ascribed to a 
creature called the mammoth, but are now universally believed 
to have belonged to the elephant. The molares, or grinders, are 
precisely the same with those of the present race ; but both they 

G2 



78 THE ELEPHANT. 

and the tusks are larger. Some of the latter have been known 
to weigh four hundred pounds ; and grinders of the weight of 
twenty-four pounds, have not unfrequently been discovered. One 
of them was taken from a skeleton of the same head in which 
the tusks were found : and as the ivory was in every respect the 
same as that now generally known, and used for the same pur- 
poses, it appears evident that they belonged to the elephant. 
But as this quadruped does not seem ever to have existed in Si- 
beria, and as the climate itself is contradictory to the supposi- 
tion, it will perhaps for ever puzzle philosophy to account for the 
circumstance. The only probable conjecture is, that these ani- 
mals must have been brought from India for the use of the Tar- 
tar princes, successors of Ginghis Khan, during the flourishing 
state of that dynasty. 

A similar phenomenon has been discovered in America, on 
the banks of the Ohio. Tusks, teeth, jaw-bones, thigh-bones, 
and vertebrae, all of prodigious size, have been found five or six 
feet below the surface. Some of these tusks are near seven feet 
long, one foot nine inches round at the base, and one foot near 
the point. They differ from those of the elephant, in having a 
larger twist, or spiral curve, towards the smaller end. In the 
form of the grinders, there is a still greater difference ; for they 
are made like those of a carnivorous animal, not flat and ribbed 
transversely on their surface, like those of the elephant, but fur- 
nished with a high and double row of conic projections, as if 
intended to masticate, rather than grind their food. These fossil 
bones have also been found in some parts of South America, 
particularly Peru and Brazil ; but the living animal has hitherto 
evaded the search of the naturalist and the traveller. 

Although elephants are more numerous in Africa, those of 
India are generally superior in strength, as well as size ; and 
those of Ceylon, in particular, surpass all others in courage and 
sagacity. In those oriental countries, some of them are milk- 
white, and valued at an exorbitant price, as constituting one of 
the most pompous appendages of eastern magnificence. 

As the elephant never propagates in a domestic state, the 
precise time of its gestation is but imperfectly known. Aristotle, 
however, assigns two years to this period. This extraordinary 
quadruped is thirty years in arriving at its full growth, and lives 
even in a state of captivity a hundred and twenty years : in a 
state of natural freedom, the duration of its life is supposed to 
be much further extended. 

In regard to the elephant's discernment and sagacity, stories 
have been related that might seem incredible, and of which some 
are undoubtedly fictitious. Of such, however, as are so well 
authenticated as not to admit of a possibility of doubt, we have 



THE ELEPHANT. 79 

a sufficient number to show its superiority over the rest of the 
brute creation. Some of the actions of this surprising animal 
might indeed almost seem to be the effects of a portion of intel- 
lect, rather than of mere instinct. 

Among several anecdotes, communicated by the Marquis de 
Montmirail, we find that the cornac, or conductor of an ele- 
phant, had excited the animal to make an extraordinary effort, 
by showing him a vessel of arrack, which he pointed out as 
his reward ; but when he had performed his arduous task, the 
elephant had the mortification of seeing himself disappointed 
of his expected recompense; and, impatient of being thus 
mocked, immediately killed his governor. 

The man's wife, who was a spectator of thi& dreadful catas- 
trophe, in a fit of agonizing grief, took her two little infants arid 
threw them at the feet of -the enraged animal, saying, " Since 
you have destroyed my husband, kill me also and my children." 
The elephant immediately stopped, and, as if stung with re- 
morse, took up the eldest boy with his trunk, placed him on his 
neck, and would never afterwards obey any other governor. It 
is here to be observed, that the elephant is extremely fond of 
spirituous liquors, as well as of wine, and the sight of a vessel 
filled with these liquors, and promised as a reward, will induce 
him to make the most extraordinary exertions, and perform the 
most painful tasks ; and to disappoint him is dangerous, and his 
revenge is almost certain. But if he be vindictive, he is equally 
grateful, and will suffer no kindness shown him to go unrewarded. 
A soldier of Pondicherry, who frequently carried one of these 
creatures a certain measure of arrack, being one day a little in- 
toxicated, and seeing himself pursued by the guard, who were 
about to conduct him to prison, took refuge under the elephant, 
where he fell sound asleep. The guard attempted in vain to take 
him from this asylum, the elephant defending him with his trunk. 
The next day, the soldier becoming sober, was terrified at seeing 
himself placed under so enormous an animal ; but the elephant 
caressed him with his trunk, to remove his fears, and make him 
understand that he might depart in safety. 

The elephant is sometimes seized with a sort of phrenzy, 
which renders him extremely formidable so that on the first 
symptoms of madness, he is commonly killed, in order to pre- 
vent mischief: yet in these fits he has frequently been known to 
distinguish his benefactors; so strongly are gratitude and mag- 
nanimity impressed on his nature. 

The elephant that was kept in the menagerie at Versailles, 
always discerned when any person designed to make a fool of 
him, and always remembered an affront, which he never failed 
to revenge at the first opportunity Having been cheated by a 



80 THE ELEPHANT. 

man who feigned to throw something into his mouth, he struck 
him with his trunk, and broke two of his ribs, and afterwards 
trampled him under his feet, and broke one of his legs. A painter 
being desirous of drawing him in the attitude of having his trunk 
erect, and his mouth open, ordered his servant to make him re- 
tain that posture, by constantly throwing him fruit ; the servant, 
however, at last deceived him, which so roused his indignation, 
that, perceiving the original cause of this deception to be the 
painter's desire of drawing him, he revenged himself by throw- 
ing, with his trunk, a large quantity of water on the paper, which 
completely spoiled the design. 

The elephants exhibited in Europe are commonly of a diminu- 
tive size, as the coldness of the climate both checks the growth 
and abridges the life of these animais. That which has just been 
mentioned, and which was sent by the King of Portugal to 
Louis XIV. A. D. 1668, died in 1681, being four years old at 
his arrival, and living only thirteen years in the menagerie at 
Versailles. He was six feet and a half high at four years old, 
and advanced in growth only one foot during the thirteen years 
that he lived in France, although he was treated with care, and 
fed with profusion. He had every day four pounds of bread, 
twelve pints of wine, two buckets of porridge, with four or five 
pounds of steeped bread, and two buckets of rice, boiled in 
water. 

The elephant that died in 1803, at Exeter 'Chancre, was 
brought over in the Rose East-Indiaman, and purchased by the 
owner of the menagerie, for 1000. He was generally fed with 
hay and straw, but could also eat with avidity, carrots, cabbages, 
bread, and boiled potatoes. He was so excessively fond of beer, 
that he has been known to drink upwards of fifty quarts in a 
day, given by his numerous visiters. He was also allowed nine 
pails of water daily, given at three different times : but the 
quantity he ate could not be precisely ascertained, as he fre- 
quently scattered great part of the straw which was given him 
for food, and ate a considerable portion of that which formed 
his litter. This animal would kneel down, bow to the company, 
or search the pocket of his keeper, at the word of command. 

Considering the elephant, if not the most useful, at least the 
most wonderful of all God's works displayed in the animal crea- 
tion, being a monster of matter and a miracle of intelligence, it 
is presumed, no excuse for prolixity in its description is neces- 
sary. He unites in himself the judgment of the beaver, the dex- 
terity of the monkey, and the sentiment of the dog ; and adds 
to all these qualifications the peculiar advantages of extraordi- 
nary size, strength, and longevity. He can conquer the lion and 
the tiger, nor dare anv beast of prey attack him. When we con- 



THE RHINOCEROS. 81 

sider that he can root up trees with his trunk ; that in war he 
carries on his back a tower containing five or six combatants ; 
that he moves machines and carries burdens to which the strength 
of six horses is scarcely adequate ; and that to this amazing 
force he joins courage, prudence, magnanimity, and gratitude 
for kind treatment, we cannot hesitate to give him the first place 
in the scale of animal beings; nor can we wonder that the an- 
cients considered the elephant as a prodigy, a miracle of nature; 
and that men have in all ages set a high value on this greatest 
of quadrupeds. 



CHAPTER XIV. 



" Canst thou bind the unicorn \*ith his band in the furrow ? Or will he 
harrow the valleys after thee ?" BOOK OF JOB. 

HAVING, in the last chapter, given a description of the ele- 
phant, we now proceed to give some account of a quadruped, 
which is indeed inferior to it in size, but in strength is surpassed 
by no other animal. 

THE RHINOCEROS 

Is a native of the same countries, and inhabits the same forests 
and deserts, as the elephant. The length of this animal, from the 
muzzle to the insertion of the tail, is generally about twelve feet, 
and the circumference of its body nearly equal to the length. 
The form of the head resembles that of a hog, except that the 
ears are larger, and stand erect. Its nose is armed with a formi- 
dable weapon peculiar to this animal, being an exceeding hard 
and solid horn, which sometimes grows almost four feet in length, 
and renders it a complete match for the fierc.est adversary. Like 
the elephant, it is formidable to ferocious animals, but perfectly 
inoffensive to those that offer it no injury, and give no provo- 
cation. 

The body and limbs of this animal, are covered with a skin 
so hard and impenetrable, that it will turn the edge of the sharp- 
est scimitar, and (except on the belly) will resist the force of a 
musket-ball. This skin, which is of a blackish colour, forms it- 
self into divers folds, by which the motions of the animal are 
facilitated. 

The body, thighs, legs, and feet, are every where covered with 
tuberosities, or knots, which some writers have denominated 



82 THE RHINOCEROS. 

scales ; but they are mere indurations of the skin, which in the 
creases between the folds, is not only penetrable, but quite soft, 
and of a light flesh colour. The belly of this animal is large, 
and its legs short, massy, and strong: its upper lip is long, capa- 
ble of great extension, and, like the proboscis of the elephant, 
serves to lay hold of any thing that it would convey to its mouth. 

The strength of the Rhinoceros is the most conspicuous ad- 
vantage conferred on it by Nature. It seems rather to partake 
of the stupidity of the hog, than of the sagacity of the elephant, 
and, without being ferocious, or even carnivorous, is totally un- 
tractable. It is a solitary animal, loves moist and marshy grounds, 
especially near the banks of rivers ; and, like the hog, delights 
to wallow in the mire. It seems to be subject to sudden paroxysms 
of madness, which are sometimes attended with fatal effects. A 
rhinoceros, which Emanuel, king of Portugal, sent as a present 
to the Pope, A. D. 1513, destroyed the vessel in which it was 
embarked ; and some years ago,, another, which had been ex- 
hibited at Paris, was drowned in a similar manner, in its passage 
to Italy. 

The food of the rhinoceros is wholly of the vegetable kind 
it seerns to prefer the grossest herbs to the most delicate pastur 
age ; but yet is very fond of the sugar-cane, and of all kinds of 
grain. The hearing of this animal is very acute, and it listens 
with great attention to any kind of noise ; but from the peculiar 
construction of its eyes, its sight is defective, and can be directed 
only to objects immediately before it. The acuteness of its hear- 
ing, and the impenetrability of its skin, oblige the hunters to 
follow at a distance, and watch it, until it lies down to sleep, 
when they approach with great precaution, and discharge their 
muskets all at once into the lower parts of its belty. 

A foetus of this animal, which had been extracted from the 
mother, was sent from Java, and deposited in the royal cabinet 
of Paris ; and the memorial which accompanied this present, 
stated, that twenty-eight hunters had assembled to attack the 
female rhinoceros, and followed her at a distance for some days, 
observing carefully fo reconnoitre her progress ; and that having 
by these means surprised her when asleep, they approached her 
so near, as to discharge at one volley the contents of their twenty- 
eight muskets into the vulnerable part of her belly. 

Without being useful like the elephant, the rhinoceros is ex- 
tremely hurtful, by the devastation that he makes whenever he 
enters any cultivated grounds. His consumption of victuals is 
exceedingly great. 

In the year 1743, Dr. Parsons published a minute description 
of one of these animals, that was brought from Bengal into Eng- 
land. Though only two years old, the expense of his food and 



THE RHINOCEROS. 83 

voyage amounted to near 1000 sterling. He consumed every 
day, at three meals, seven pounds of rice, mixed with three 
pounds of sugar, besides a large quantity of hay, and green plants: 
he likewise drank a great deal of water. In his disposition he 
was perfectly gentle, and would suffer any part of his body to be 
touched, without evincing the least displeasure; but when hungry, 
or struck by any person, he became fierce and mischievous, and 
an immediate supply of food was the only means of pacifying 
him. 

A rhinoceros, brought from Akham, and exhibited at Paris in 
1748, is said to have been extremely tame, and even caressing. 
He was fed chiefly on hay and corn, but the attendants frequently 
gave him thorny branches of trees, and sharp or prickly plants, 
with which he appeared much delighted, though they sometimes 
drew blood from his mouth and tongue. 

The only two animals of this species that have been brought 
into England for a considerable number of years, were both pur 
chased for the menagerie, Exeter 'Change. The first, of which 
the skin is still preserved, came from the East Indies ; arrived in 
England in the year 1790, when he was about five years old 
and was, soon afterwards, purchased by Mr. Pidcock, for seven 
hundred pounds. 

His docility was equal to that of a tolerably tractable pig : he 
would obey his master's orders, walk about the room to exhibit 
himself, and even allow his visitants to pat him on the back or 
side. His voice bore some resemblance to the bleating of a calf, 
and was most commonly excited when he perceived any person 
with fruit, or other favourite food, in their hands. 

His food wns invariably seized in his projecting upper lip, and 
by it conveyed to his mouth. He usually ate twenty-eight pounds 
of clover, the same weight of ship-biscuit, and a prod : gious 
quantity of greens, every day. He was likewise allowed five pails 
of water, twice or three times a day; this was put into a vessel 
containing about three pails, which was filled up as he drank it, 
and he never ended his draught till the water was exhausted. 
He was also extremely fond of sweet wines, of which he would 
sometimes drink three or four bottles in the course of a few 
hours. 

In the month of October, 1 792, as this animal was one day 
rising up suddenly, he dislocated the joint of one of his fore- 
legs, and this accident brought on an inflammation, which occa- 
sioned his death about nine months afterwards. He died in a 
caravan near Portsmouth, and the stench arising from his body 
was so intolerable, that the Mayor ordered it to be immediately 
buried. However, about a fortnight afterwards, it was privately 
dug up during the night, for the purpose of preserving its skin, 



84 THE RHINOCEROS. 

and some of the most valuable of the bones, though the stench 
was so powerful, that the persons employed found the greatest 
difficulty in performing their operations. 

The other rhinoceros, exhibited at Exeter 'Change, was con- 
siderably smaller than the former. It was brought over in the 
year 1799, and was purchased by an agent of the Emperor of 
Germany for 1000, but it died in a stable-yard, in Drury-lane, 
about twelve months after, its arrival in England, and two 
months after it was sold by Mr. Pidcock. This animal is supposed 
to be the unicorn of the ancients. It was known to the Romans 
at an early period, and Augustus caused one to be exhibited in 
his triumph over Cleopatra. 

The flesh of the rhinoceros is esteemed excellent by Indians 
and Negroes. Kolben says, that he has often eaten it with pleas- 
ure ; but the skin is the most valuable part, as it makes the hard- 
est and best leather of any in the world. In the countries where 
the rhinoceros is found, its horn, and indeed almost every part 
of its body, Js esteemed an antidote against poison, as well as a 
remedy against various diseases. These virtues, however, are 
doubtless no more than imaginary. The period of this animal's 
life is supposed to be about eighty years; but this, arid its time 
of gestation, are equally uncertain. 

The double-horned rhinoceros is extremely rare, and its ex- 
istence was long considered as fabulous, or at least doubtful, 
until it was discovered at the Cape of Good Hope, by Dr. Spar- 
man, who has published a most exact anatomical account of this 
before-undescribed animal, which, however, does not appear ma- 
terially to differ from that just described, except in the circum- 
stance of having two horns, and in the appearance of its skin, 
which, instead of being covered with armour like folds, has 
mere'y a slight wrinkle across the shoulders, and on the hinder 
parts. 

Mr. Bruce's account of the manners of the two-horned rhino- 
ceros, is particularly worthy of attention. He observes, th^t 
" besides the trees capable of most resistance, there are in the 
vast forests within their range, trees of a softer consistence, and 
of a very succulent quality, which seem to be destined for the 
principal food of this animal. For the purpose of gaining the 
highest branches of these, his upper lip is capable of being length- 
ened out, so as to increase his power of laying hold with it, in 
the same mariner as the elephant does with his trunk. With this 
lip, and the assistance of his tongue, he pulls down the upper 
branches, which have most leaves, and these he devours first. 
Having stripped the tree of its branches, he does not immedi- 
ately abandon it; but, placing his snout as low in the trunk as he 
finds his horns will enter, he rips up the body of the tree, and 



THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. 85 

reduces it to thin pieces, like so many laths ; and when he has 
thus prepared it, he embraces as much of it as he can in his 
monstrous jaws, and twists it round with as much ease as an ox 
would do a root of celery, or any small plant." 

u When pursued, and in fear, he possesses an astonishing de- 
gree of swiftness, considering the unwieldiness of his body, his 
great weight before, and the shortness of his legs. It is not 
true, that in a plain he beats the horse in swiftness ; for though 
a horse can very seldom come up, this is merely owing to his cun- 
ning. He makes constantly from wood to wood, and forces him- 
self into the thickest parts of them ; the trees that are dead, or 
dry, are broken down as with a cannon-shot, and fall behind him 
and on his side, in all directions ; others, that are more pliable, 
or fuller of sap, are bent back by his weight, and the velocity of 
his motions ; and after he has passed, restoring themselves, like 
a green branch, to their natural position, they often sweep the 
incautious pursuer and his horse from the ground, and dash them 
in pieces against the surrounding trees." 

n .- 

CHAPTER XV. 
THE mPPOPOTAMCS. 

" The flood disparts : behold ! in plaited mail, 
Behemoth rears his head. Glanc'd from his side, 
The darted steel in idle shivers flies : 
He fearless walks the plain, or seeks the hills ; 
Where, as he crops his varied fare, the herds, 
In widening circles round, forget their food, 
And at the harmless stranger wondering gaze." 

FOR the subject of this chapter, we have chosen another of 
the wonderful works of the Creator, more rare than the rhino- 
ceros, and equally worthy of attention. The peculiar habits and 
disposition of the animal we are about to describe, concur with 
the remoteness of those solitudes which afford it an asylum, in 
throwing difficulties in the way of its investigation. 

THE HIPPOPOTAMUS 

Inhabits all the large rivers of Africa, from the Niger to the 
Cape of Good Hope, but is not found in any of those which fall 
into the Mediterranean, except the Nile, and exists in that part 
of it only which runs through Upper Egypt, and the fens and 
lakes of Abyssinia and Nubia. 

This amphibious animal has been celebrated from the remotest 

H 



86 THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. 

antiquity, and is mentioned in the Book of Job under the name 
of Behemoth ; but although its figure is found engraven on Egyp- 
tian obelisks and Roman medals, it was imperfectly known to 
the ancient naturalists. Pliny, instead of correcting, has copied, 
and even multiplied the errors of Aristotle, and the example has 
been imitated by succeeding writers. 

As the Hippopotamus mostly resides at the bottom of great 
rivers, it is not easy to ascertain its size. M. Vaillant informs 
us, that one which he shot, measured from the muzzle to the in- 
sertion of the tail, ten feet seven inches, and eight feet in cir- 
cumference, but from the smallness of its tusks, he supposed it 
to be a young one. Dr. Goldsmith says, than an Italian surgeon 
having procured one from the Nile, found it to measure seven- 
teen feet in length, and sixteen round the body. Its height did 
not exceed seven feet, and the jaws, when extended, were two 
feet wide. Ray says, that its upper jaw is moveable like that of 
the crocodile. In each jaw it has four cutting teeth ; it has also 
four large tusks : those of the under jaw, which are the largest, 
are sometimes above two feet long. The canine teeth are said 
to be so hard as to emit fire, when struck with steel : they are 
extremely white, and for the purpose of making artificial teeth, 
are preferred to ivory. The grinders are square or oblong, and 
weigh sometimes more than three pounds. The skin is of a 
dusky colour, and although less callous, is thicker than that of 
the rhinoceros, and is manufactured into whips. The tail is 
about a foot long, tapered and flattened at the end, which is 
thinly planted with bristly hairs. The legs are so short, that its 
belly almost touches the ground, and the hoofs are divided into 
four parts unconnected by membranes. Some writers represent 
the figure of this animal as an intermediate form, between the 
ox and the hog. The Hippopotamus, although little inferior in 
size to the elephant, and of a figure calculated to inspire terror, 
is formidable in appearance, rather than in reality. Its disposi- 
tion is mild and gentle, except when provoked or wounded. 
When this happens in the water, where its activity is equal to its 
courage, it will rise and attack boats or canoes,. in the most fu- 
rious and fearless manner. Dampier says, that he has known 
one of these animals sink a boat full of people, by tearing a hole 
in the bottom with its tusks. On the land, its movements are 
heavy ; and the method of taking it, is by digging pits in those 
parts through which it passes in its way to the river, when it re- 
turns from feeding. 

These animals seldom go far from the rivers, unless their banks 
fail of affording them a sufficiency of food. In that case, they 
sometimes stray into cultivated grounds, where, like the rhino- 
ceros and the elephant, they make dreadful havoc, as they not 



THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. 87 

only devour an immense quantity of vegetable produce, but de- 
stroy still more by their feet, which support so enormous a pon- 
derosity of body. 

Professor Thunberg was informed by a respectable person at 
the Cape of Good Hope, that as he and a party were on a hunt- 
ing expedition, they perceived a female hippopotamus come out 
of one of the rivers, and retire to a little distance, in order to 
calve. They concealed themselves among some bushes till the 
c;ilf and its mother made their appearance, when one of them 
fired, and shot the latter dead on the spot. The Hottentots, sup- 
posing they might now seize the calf alive, immediately ran from 
their hiding-place; but the young animal, though only just 
brought into the world, eluded their pursuit, and plunged safely 
into the river. This the professor justly observes, was a singular 
instance of pure instinct ; for the creature unhesitatingly ran to 
the river, as its proper place of security, without having received 
any previous instructions from the action of its parent. 

The Egyptians have a curious method of freeing themselves, 
in some measure, from this destructive animal. They lay a quan- 
tity of peas about the places which he chiefly frequents ; and 
when the creature comes ashore hungry and voracious, he begins 
eating in the nearest place, and greedily devours the peas, till 
they occasion the most insupportable thirst. He then rushes into 
his favourite element, and drinks so copiously, that the peas in 
his stomach swell so much as very soon afterwards to terminate 
his existence. 

It is said, that these creatures are capable of being tamed; 
and Belori asserts, that he has seen one so gentle as to be let out 
of a stable, and led by its keeper, without attempting to injure 
any one. 

Tho flesh of the hippopotamus is tender and well tasted, and 
by the colonists of the Cape settlement, esteemed exceedingly 
wholesome. The gelatinous parts of the feet and tongue, when 
dried, are considered as great delicacies. 

THE LONG-NOSED TAPIIR 

Ts the hippopotamus of the new world, and is by some con- 
sidered as a species of that animal, to which, in its habits and 
disposition, it indeed bears a striking resemblance ; but is much 
inferior in size, being no larger than a small cow, as well as dif- 
ferent from it in the shape of its head, and especially its nose, 
which is long and slender, forming a sort of proboscis, capable 
of voluntary contraction and extension. 

It is found in the woods and rivers, in that part of South 
America which extends from the isthmus of Darien to the river 
Amazon. It is a solitary animal, mild and inoffensive : it sleeps 



88 THE CAT KIND. 

in the day, feeds in the night, lives wholly on vegetables, and flies 
from every appearance of danger. Its flesh is said to be excel- 
lent food : its skin, which is very thick, and when dried is proof 
against the impression of an arrow, is, by the Indians, used for 
bucklers. 

Thus we see that these sequestered animals, although inhabit- 
ing the solitary recesses of the largest rivers in the most unfre- 
quented parts of the globe, are not devoid of utility to man. 

In surveying those numerous tribes of animals, of which some 
are so perfectly adapted to afford us their assistance in labour, 
or to supply us with food and clothing ; and others so admirably 
calculated to gratify our curiosity, and excite rational beings to 
contemplate the greatness and goodness of the Author of Na- 
ture, who has created so many subordinate beings, endowed with 
qualities so essential to our comfortable existence, that we can- 
not but learn the divine lesson of gratitude to the bountiful Giver 
of all good things. A little reflection will enable us to perceive, 
that to treat with kindness the creatures subject to our domina- 
tion, and committed to our charge, is the most rational and ap- 
propriate demonstration of our gratitude to the Creator of the 
universe, and Common Parent of all? for his kind attention to 
our comforts and conveniences. 

After exhibiting to view the nature, the habits, and utility of 
these different kinds of animals, which, being domesticated 
among us, and necessary to our service and support, induce us 
to consider their welfare as connected with our own, we have 
been led to range among the wilder inhabitants of the forests, 
the mountains, and the deserts, which, although less dependent 
on man, are frequently the objects of his pursuit, and become 
subservient to his interests. Having followed Nature to her most 
retired recesses, and seen and admired the works of the Crea- 
tor, displayed in a variety of the most useful, the most beautiful, 
and the most inoffensive animal forms, we shall now be engaged 
in a different pursuit, and occupied with the contemplation of a 
new scene. 



CHAPTER XVI. 
THIS CAT KZBTD. 

" Around in sympathetic mirth 

Its tricks the kitten tries." GOLDSMITH. 

OUR attention is now called to a numerous, ferocious, and 
sanguinary tribe, engaged in unceasing hostilities against man, 
and against all those animals that are in alliance with him, and 



THE CAT. 3:3 

under his dominion and protection. This numerous and ferocious 
race, which by most naturalists is denominated 

THE CAT KIND, 

Is distinguished by their formidable claws, which are capable 
of being drawn in, or extended at pleasure. They lead a solitary 
life, prowling about for prey, and, instead of uniting in herds 
like the herbivorous kinds, they ramble about alone in search of 
food, and are generally enemies to one another. Although greatly 
differing in size and in colour, they all correspond in form and 
in disposition : they are equally fierce and rapacious, and all of 
them carnivorous ; the common Cat, through habits of domesti- 
cation, is brought to eat farinaceous food, but never prefers it ; 
and all other animals of the cat kind refuse the aliment that is 
not tinged with blood. 

We begin the description of this race, with this common do- 
mestic animal the Cat the only one of the tribe that has been 
taken under human protection. 

THE CAT 

Is, when young, of all animals the most sportive and playful: 
but as its years increase, it begins to grow more serious, and also 
more artful. 

Any description of an animal so universally known, and of 
which the habits and propensities are exposed to daily observa- 
tion, would be superfluous : we may, however, observe, that al- 
though cats cannot absolutely see in the dark, as is often asserted, 
yet they see much better in the twilight, or when it is dusky, 
than in the broad day-light. During the day, the pupil of this 
animal's eye is contracted, but in the dusk it resumes its natural 
roundness. It then enjoys perfect vision, and takes advantage 
of it to discover and seize its prey. 

The nocturnal meetings of these creatures, seem a curious 
peculiarity. They call one another together by loud cries, and 
sometimes meet in great numbers. When they are met, they 
look at one another in a menacing manner, writhe themselves 
into a thousand threatening postures, and, without any apparent 
cause, fly upon one another with the most furious rage, with 
teeth and claws indiscriminately wounding and lacerating one 
another. 

These furious engagements never happen but in the night : 
they sometimes continue several hours, and the most horrid 
squalls accompany them through the whole time of their duration. 

The cat is fond of certain perfumes, and is particularly at- 
tracted by the smell of valerian : it has a remarkable aveiaion 

H2 



90 THE CAT. 

to mire and water, and is a handsome, cleanly, and agreeable 
creature. 

The perseverance of the cat in watching its prey is remark- 
able, and indeed extraordinary. This animal loves to bask in 
the sun-shine, and is exceedingly fond of sitting by a warm fire; 
so that from these circumstances, one might naturally suppose it 
to be unable to bear the cold ; and yet, in watching its prey, it 
will frequently sit motionless several hours together among snow 
in the severest weather. 

Some naturalists have treated the cat somewhat hardly in their 
descriptions, and have represented it as insensible of kindness, 
and incapable of attachment, which is certainly a mistake. It is 
as much attached to its master as any other animal, except the 
dog, and expresses its affections by the most engaging caresses, 
and the most agreeable purring. It is also reproached with 
treachery and cruelty but are not the artifices which it uses the 
particular instincts which the all-wise Creator has given it, in 
conformity with the purposes for which it is designed ? Being 
destined to prey upon so lively and active an animal as the mouse, 
which possesses so many means of escape, it is requisite that it 
should be artful ; and indeed the cat, when well observed, ex- 
hibits the most evident proofs of a particular adaptation to a 
particular purpose, and the most striking example of a peculiar 
instinct suited to its destination. 

A celebrated writer says, that " the cat is one of those ani- 
mals which has made the least return to man for his trouble by 
its services ;" but it is certain, that it renders very essential ser- 
vices to man, and merits well his kindness and protection. 
Authors seem to delight in exaggerating the good qualities of 
the dog, while they depreciate those of the cat: the latter, how- 
ever, is not less useful, and certainly less mischievous, than the 
former. The delight, however, which this animal takes in sport- 
ing with the unfortunate victim that falls under its power, in pro- 
longing its tortures, and putting it to a lingering death, it must 
be confessed is not a very favourable trait of its character. 

The cat is very much attached to the place where it has been 
brought up, or long made its abode; and instances frequently 
occur, of cats having returned to the place from whence they 
had been carried, although at several miles' distance, and even 
across rivers, when it was impossible that they should have had 
any knowledge of the road. 

In former times, this animal was held in so high estimation, 
that its preservation constituted, in some countries, an object of 
public attention. In the reign of Howel, the good king of 
Wales, who died A. D. 948, laws were made to fix the price of 



THE CAT. 91 

valuable animals, among which the cat was included, on account 
of its utility and scarcity. The price of a kitten, before it could 
see, was fixed at one penny : after its eyes were open, which is 
in the space of eight or nine days from its birth, it was advanced 
to two-pence; and as soon as proof could be given of its having 
caught a mouse, its value was, in consequence of that exploit, 
rated at four-pence ; a very considerable sum in those days, 
when money was so exceedingly scarce, being at least equiva- 
lent to the price of a good sheep. 

By the same laws, if any one should steal or destroy a cat 
that guarded the prince's granary, he was to expiate the crime 
by the payment of as much wheat as would form a heap high 
enough to cover the cat's tail when it was suspended by it with 
the nose touching the floor, or by the forfeiture of a good ewe, 
with her fleece and lamb. It was likewise provided, that when 
a cat was sold, its sight and hearing should be perfect, and its 
claws whole, and if a female, a good nurse to kittens: if any 
defect were found in regard to these qualities, the seller was to 
forfeit to the buyer one-fourth part of the price. 

From these circumstances, it appears, that the cat was not 
originally a native of Great Britain, and that great pains were 
once taken to preserve and improve the breed of an animal 
which is now grown so common, that it is held in less estimation 
than it deserves. 

It is a disagreeable but just observation, that in mnny cases 
the favours of Providence excite not only less admiration, but 
also less gratitude, from being liberally bestowed and plentifully 
diffused. 

The maternal affection of the cat is very remarkable, and she 
has frequently been known to nurse the young of other animals 
with the utmost care and tenderness. 

In the Naturalist's Calendar, a very curious circumstance of 
this nature is stated: "A boy had taken three young squirrels 
in their nest, put them under a cat which had recently lost her 
kittens, and found that she suckled them with the same affection 
as if they had been her own progeny. But so many persons 
flocked to see this phenomenon, that the foster-mother at length 
became alarmed for the safety of her charge, and hid them over 
a ceiling, where one died." 

Mr. White, in his Natural History of Selborne, observes, that 
he had a little helpless leveret brought to him, which was nour- 
ished by the servants, with milk from a spoon; and about the 
same time his cat kittened, and the young were despatched. The 
leveret was soon lost, and was supposed to have fallen a prey to 
some cat or dog ; but one evening, about a fortnight afterwards, 
as Mr. White was sitting in the garden, he observed his cat trot- 



THE WILD CAT. 

ling toward him, and followed by the leveret, which she had 
nourished with the utmost affection. 

When M. Baumgarten was at Damascus, he saw a large house 
which was solely used as a kind of hospital for cats, and was 
said to be completely filled with those creatures. On inquiring 
into the origin of 'this curious institution, he was informed that 
Mahomet, when he once resided there, kept a cat in the sleeve 
of his gown, and fed it carefully with his own hands; in conse- 
quence of which, his followers in this place paid the most super- 
stitious respect to these animals, and supported them in this 
manner by public alms, which were very adequate to the pur- 
pose. 

THE WILD CAT 

Is so intimately allied to the domestic kind, that they evidently 
constitute the same species. The form is the same in both, and 
they exhibit the same characteristic propensities : the only ob- 
servable distinction is, that the wild cats are larger and stronger 
than the tame kind, and their fur is much longer, but very soft 
and fine. 

The province of Chorazin, in Persia, is famous for a beautiful 
species of this animal : its size is about the same as that of our 
common cat : its colour is of a fine grey, and its fur cannot be 
exceeded in softness and lustre : its tail is long, and covered with 
hair of the length of five or six inches : it frequently turns it 
upon its back like a squirrel, and it then resembles a plume of 
feathers. 

The cat of Angora is larger than the common wild cat. Some 
of these creatures are white, and others of a dun colour; and 
all of them have a ruff of long hair round the neck, which gives 
them the appearance of small lions. 

Wild, as well as tame cats, are found with very little variety 
in almost every climate, and in almost every country of the old 
and the new continent. This animal is indeed extensively dif- 
fused, and existed in America before its discovery by the Euro- 
peans. 

In England, the wild cat is not very common, although some 
of an enormous size have been taken : one was killed in the 
county of Cumberland, which measured above five feet in length, 
from the nose to the end of the tail. 

Wild cats always inhabit mountainous and woody tracts; where 
they live in trees, and hunt for birds and small animals. They 
sometimes sally from their retreats, and make great havoc among 
poultry : they will kill young lambs, kids, and fawns, and are ex- 
ceedingly destructive among rabbits in the warrens. 

A tradition is extant, of a serious conflict which once took 



THE OCELOT. 93 

place at the village of Bamborough, in Yorkshire, between a 
man and a wild cat. It is said that the fight commenced in an 
adjacent wood, and was continued from thence into the porch 
of the church, where it ended fatally to both combatants, for 
each died of their wounds. A rude painting in the church com- 
memorates the event, and some of the stones are said to be 
tinged with bloody stains, which the properties of soap and water 
have never been able to obliterate. In all probability, however, 
these stains are merely imaginary, as the natural tinge of the 
stones may be of a red colour. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

" There sublim'd 

To fearless lust of blood, the savage race 

Roam, licensed by the shading hour of guilt." THOMSON. 

IN proceeding with the survey of this ferocious tribe of ani- 
mals, we will begin our ramble among the weaker sort of those 
which are usually denominated the cat kind, and which, if through 
a deficiency of strength, they are less to be dreaded than those 
of a larger size, possess the same ferocity of disposition as the 
most formidable. Among these are indeed some most beautiful 
forms, but all characterized by the same propensity to carnage 
and blood. This observation, in the first place, is found verified in 

THE OCELOT. 

This animal, when it has taken its prey, is said to prefer the 
blood before the flnsh. A male and a female ocelot, which had 
been taken very young, were some years ago brought to Paris. 
At the age of three months, they became so strong and fierce, 
as to kill a bitch that had been put ID them as a nurse. A live 
cat being thrown to them, they immediately killed it, and sucked 
the bl >od, but would not eat the flesh. The male never allowed 
the female to partake of his food until he had satisfied his own 
appetite. 

One of these animals, exhibited at Newcastle, although ex- 
tremely old, showed evident marks of untuneable ferocity. It 
was kept closely confined, and would not admit of being caressed 
by its keeper, but growled continually, and always appeared in 
motion. 

The ocelot, especially the male, is extremely beautiful, and its 
fur is most elegantly variegated. Its general colour is a bright 
tawny : its forehead and legs are spotted with black, and a stripe 



94 THE MARGAY THE SERVAL. 

of the same colour extends along the top of its back from head 
to tail. Its shoulders, sides, and rump, are beautifully marbled 
with long stripes of black, forming oval figures, filled in the mid- 
dle with small black spots, and its tail is irregularly marked with 
similar spots. The colours of the female are less vivid, and also 
less beautifully arranged, than those of the male. In shape, this 
animal resembles the common cat, but is much larger, being, 
according to Buffon, two feet and an half high, and four feet in 
length. 

The ocelot is a native of South America, and is also found in 
North America. It lives chiefly in the mountains, and conceals 
itself in the leafy tops of trees, from whence it darts upon such 
animals as come within its reach. It sometimes stretches itself 
along the branches, as if it were dead, till the monkeys, prompted 
by their natural curiosity, come within its reach, and experience 
the fatality of their mistake. 

THE MARGAY 

Is smaller than the ocelot, being nearly of the size of the wild 
cat, which it resembles in its habits and characteristic propensi- 
ties. It is sometimes called the Cayenne cat, and is common in 
Brazil, and various parts of South America. Several species of 
this animal are found in India, and in the southern parts of Af- 
rica ; but these in general have been so negligently observed, or 
so injudiciously represented by travellers, as to render it impos- 
sible, from their relations, to form any perfect description of this 
animal, which constitutes one of the many desiderata of natural 
history. Its colours vary, but in genei \\ it is tawny, the face and 
body marked with stripes and spots of black, the breast and in- 
sides of the legs white, and spotted with black, and the tail long 
and alternately spotted with grey, black, and tawny. On the 
whole, the margay is a most beautiful animal. In some parts, it 
is known by the name of the tiger-cat. 

THE SERVAL 

Is another quadruped of the cat kind, that inhabits the moun- 
tainous parts of India. It is also a beautiful animal, somewhat 
larger than the wild cat. The general colour is a pale yellow, 
but white on the belly and breast : its whole body is variegated 
with black spots, equally distributed in every part : its eyes are 
extremely brilliant and piercing, its tail short, and its feet armed 
with long hooked claws. 

It is extremely fierce, but avoids mankind, unless provoked, 
when it darts furiously on the offender, attacking him with teeth 
and claws, in the same manner as the panther. It is seldom seen 
on the ground, but lives chiefly in trees, where it makes its nest, 



THE CONGUAR THE BLACK TIGER. 95 

and breeds its young. It feeds on young birds, and leaps with 
great agility from tree to tree. 

THE CONGUAR 

Is a native of the continent of America, and is by some called 
the American lion, although little resembling that animal. Its 
head is small, and it has no mane: its predominant colour is a 
lively red, mixed with black, especially on the upper parts of the 
body, but the inferior parts are whitish : its legs are long, and its 
claws white. It is about five feet in length from the muzzle to 
the tail ; and its tail is about two feet long. 

It is found in many parts of North America, where its ferocity 
seems to be subdued by the climate ; for it will fly from a dog, 
and run up a tree for safety. It is common in Guiana. Brazil, 
and Mexico ; and in those hot climates is fierce and ravenous in 
the. extreme. It will swim rivers to attack cattle even in their 
enclosures ; and is very destructive to hogs, as well as other do- 
mestic animals. It is also a terrible enemy to the moose, and 
other deer, and will even attack beasts of prey. It lies lurking 
in the top of a tree, till some animal passes underneath, when it 
drops down upon it, and never quits it till it has drank its blood. 
The conguar, although so ferocious in its natural state, is, when 
taken and tamed, almost as gentle as a domestic cat, allowing 
itself to be caressed, and will even permit children to mount on 
its back : it purs like a cat, and when angry, or oppressed with 
hunger, sometimes howls dreadfully. 

THE BLACK TIGER 

Differs from the last described animal chiefly in its colour, 
which is dusky, and in some of the species spotted with black. 
The inferior parts of the body are of a palish cast, the upper lip 
white, and covered with long whiskers. Above each eye it has 
very long hairs, and at the corner of the mouth a black spot. 
It grows to the size of a heifer of a year old, and has remarka- 
ble strength in its limbs. 

M. de la Borde says, that these animals are excellent swim- 
mers, and that they frequent the sea-shore, and eat the eggs de- 
posited there by the turtles. They likewise destroy alligators, 
lizards, and fish. In order to catch the alligators, they lie down 
on their bellies at the edge of the river, and strike the water to 
make a noise. The alligator then raises its head above water, 
in expectation of its prey, but they dart their claws into its eyes, 
and drag it on shore, where it falls a victim to the animal on 
which it intended to feast ; like wicked men, who frequently fall 
into the snares which they have laid for others, and draw upon 
themselves those calamities which they designed to inflict. 



96 THE LYNX. 

The black tiger inhabits Brazil and Guiana, where it is much 
dreaded by the natives. It is, indeed, a ravenous and ferocious 
animal, but fortunately the species is not numerous. 

THE LYNX. 

This name appears to have been given by the ancients to a 
creature which existed only in imagination, and had no existence 
in the system of Nature. To this imaginary creature they at- 
tributed extraordinary qualities, and in their fabulous descriptions 
represented its sight so piercing, as to penetrate stone walls, arid 
every other opaque body. 

The real lynx, however, which Nature, and not imagination, 
has formed, is found by naturalists to be a very different animal 
from that which a poetical fancy had created. Jt possesses none 
of those extraordinary qualities attributed to it by the ancients. 
Its eyes are indeed extremely brilliant, which, with the sprightli- 
ness of its air and aspect, aided by a little exaggeration, might 
furnish poetry with striking similies and beautiful allusions. 

The lynx differs considerably from every other animal of the 
cat kind. Its distinguishing characteristic is the length and erect 
position of the ears, which are ornamented at the end with a tuft 
of long black hair. The length of its body is upwards of four 
feet, and that of the tail not above six inches. Its hair is long 
and soft, and marked with dusky spots, which vary in colour ac- 
cording to its age. Its legs and feet are thick and strong, and 
its eyes of a pale yellow. 

The fur of this animal is valuable for its warmth and softness. 
Great quantities of it are imported from the northern parts of 
Europe and America ; and the farther north the animals are 
taken, the more beautiful is their fur, being whiter, and the spots 
more distinct. It may also be observed, the winter furs are 
thicker, more glossy and beautiful, than those which are pre- 
served in the summer season. 

In hunting for its prey, the lynx frequently climbs to the tops 
of the highest trees ; and neither weazles, ermines, nor squir- 
rels, are often able to escape it. It watches for the fallow deer, 
the hare, and other animals ; darts down from the branches where 
it lies concealed, seizes them by the throat, and sucks their blood; 
after which it leaves them, and goes in search of fresh game. It 
is consequently a very destructive animal, as it is not easily satis- 
fied with carnage, and sometimes makes great havoc among the 
flocks. When attacked by a dog, it lies down on its back, and 
defends itself desperately with its claws, and in this posture fre- 
quently repels the assailant. 

The lynx is common in all the northern parts both of the old 
and the new continent. It is seldom found in very warm coun- 



THE CARACAL THE YAGUAR THE OUNCE. 97 

tries, but prefers the cold regions of the north to temperate cli- 
mates. It exists, however, in the forests of Germany ; but the 
largest and most beautiful of these creatures are taken near the 
lake Balkash, in Tartary, where a small skin is commonly sold 
for a pound sterling. The lynx is said to be a long-lived animal. 

THE CARACAL 

Very much resembles the lynx, but yet appears to be of a dif- 
ferent species, as it is never found in the countries which the 
former inhabits. It exists only in hot countries, where it gene- 
rally attends the panther, the ounce, and the lion, especially the 
last, and lives almost entirely on the refuse of their prey. It is 
commonly called the lion's provider, and is supposed to be em- 
ployed by the lion to hunt for his prey by the scent, which in this 
animal is exceedingly acute. 

THE YAGUAR 

Is an inhabitant of South America, where it is known by the 
name of the puma ; it is extremely fierce, and, when impelled by 
hunger, will venture to attack men. It appears to be the most 
formidable animal of the new continent ; and the natives are ex- 
ceedingly afraid of it. In travelling through the forests of Guiana, 
they light great fires in the night, at which these, and indeed all 
wild animals, are extremely terrified. 

This animal, which is found only in the hottest parts of South 
America, has by some been confounded with the panther, and 
by others with the tiger of the former of which it may not im- 
probably be a species ; but it is very much inferior to the latter, 
both in strength and ferocity. The skin of the yaguar much re- 
sembles that of the panther : its colour is a bright tawny : the 
top of the back is marked with long stripes of black, and the 
sides are beautifully variegated with irregular oblong spots of 
the same colour, open in the middle : upon the whole, it appears 
so nearly to resemble the panther, that those naturalists who 
have classed it in the same kind, cannot be accused of any egre- 
gious mistake. 

THE OUNCE 

Is also, by some writers, confounded with the panther, to 
which, indeed, it bears no small resemblance in the arrangement 
of its spots. It is, however, much inferior in size, seldom ex- 
ceeding three feet and a half in length; its hair is longer than 
that of the panther, as is also its tail considered in proportion to 
its size. Its colour is also somewhat different, being a light grey, 
tinned with a yellow cast. 

This animal seems to be more generally diffused than the 



98 THE LEOPARD. 

panther; for it is common in Barbary, Persia, and China, and 
is sometimes trained for hunting. When accustomed to subjec- 
tion, it is exceedingly gentle. The hunters carry it with them on 
horseback, and have it as much under command as a setting dog; 
when sent out it will return at a call, and jump up behind its 
master. 

The scent of this animal is inferior to that of the dog. It hunts 
solely by the eye, and is not sufficiently swift to overtake its prey 
in a long chase ; but it is exceedingly nimble in leaping. It fre- 
quently climbs trees to place itself on the watch, and suddenly 
to dart upon such animals as it sees passing. 

THE LEOPARD. 

This beautiful, but ferocious animal, is an inhabitant of the 
interior parts of Africa, where the species most abounds ; but it 
is also found in several parts of India, China, and Arabia ; and 
is hunted for its flesh as well as its skin, which is exceedingly 
beautiful, being of a fine bright yellow, thickly diversified with 
small black spots, disposed in clusters highly ornamental. When 
brought to Europe, the skins of these animals are greatly es- 
teemed. 

Their flesh is said to be as white as veal, and well tasted ; it 
is much relished by the negroes, who frequently take them in pit- 
falls, covered at the top, and baited with a morsel of some kind 
of flesh. The female negroes make collars of their teeth, \Cbich 
they wear as charms, and to which their imagination, clouded by 
ignorance, and influenced by superstition, its natural concomi- 
tant, has induced them to attribute extraordinary virtues. 

When these animals cannot find a sufficient supply of food in 
their native solitudes, in the uncultivated parts of Africa, they 
frequently come down in great numbers into the Lower Guinea, 
where they make horrible devastations among the herds of cattle 
which cover the plains of that fertile country, and spare no liv- 
ing creature that has the misfortune to fall in their 'w r ay. 

The late Sir Ashton Lever kept a leopard in a cage at Leices- 
ter-house, where it became so tame as always to appear gratified 
by attention and caresses; testifying its pleasure by purring, and 
rubbing itself against the bars like a cat. Sir Ashton presented 
it to the royal menagerie in the Tower, where a person previ- 
ously acquainted with it, went, after an interval of more than 
twelve months, and was greatly surprised to find himself recog- 
nised by the animal, which began to renew its usual caresses. 

In India there is a species of the leopard about the size of a 
greyhound, marked with spots pretty much like the rest of the 
kind, but of which the ground colour is a less brilliant yellow, 
inclining to tawny. This species of leopard is frequently tamed, 



THE PANTHER. 99 

and trained to hunt the antelope, and other beasts of the chase. 
It is carried in a small kind of wagon, chained and hoodwinked, 
until it approaches the game, when it is unchained and let loose 
on the pursuit. At first it begins by creeping along close to the 
ground, squatting and concealing itself as much as possible, until 
it gains an advantageous position. It then darts on its prey with 
extraordinary agility, frequently making five or six amazing 
bounds. If it does not succeed in this first effort, it desists from 
any other pursuit, and returns to its master. 

The general size of the African leopard is nearly that of a 
pretty large mastiff, and few of them exceed four feet in length. 

THE PANTHER 

Is equal in size to the largest of our mastiff dogs, but its legs 
are somewhat shorter it is consequently larger than the lepp- 
ard, being frequently from five to six feet long ; whereas the lat- 
ter, as already observed, seldom exceeds four feet. It inhabits 
Africa, from Barbary to the remotest parts of Guinea : it is ab- 
solutely untameable, and when kept under confinement, growls 
almost continually. 

The panther is extremely ferocious, but happily prefers the 
flesh of brute animals to that of the human species ; although 
when pressed with hunger, it attacks every living creature, with- 
out distinction. It takes its prey by surprise, either lurking in 
thickets, or creeping on its belly until it come within its reach : 
it will even climb trees in pursuit of monkeys, and other small 
animals, so that nothing is perfectly secure from its attacks. 

The colour of the panther is yellow, of a deep tint on the back, 
but growing paler towards the belly, which, together with the 
chest, is white : on the back, sides, and flanks, it is beautifully 
marked with black spots, disposed in circles of four or five each, 
with a single spot in the centre : its ears" are short and pointed ; 
its eyes fierce and restless ; and its whole aspect is marked with 
the most untameable ferocity. 

China produces a most tietutiful animal of this kind called the 
louchu, the skin of which is commonly sold for not less than six 
pounds sterling. An animal of this species is also found in Tar- 
tary, called the baber: it is seven feet long, and extremely fero- 
cious. Its skin is fine, and valued in Russia at a pound sterling. 

The ancients were well acquainted with the panther; and the 
Romans obtained from the deserts of Africa great numbers of 
these animals for their public shows. Scaurus exhibited an hun- 
dred and fifty of them at one time ; Pompey, four hundred and 
ten ; Augustus, four hundred and twenty. Panthers must have 
been at that time extremely plentiful in the northern parts of Af- 
rica, and they still swarm in the tropical regions of that continent 



CHAPTER XVIII. 
THE TXGX5R. 

" The tiger, darting fierce 

Impetuous on the prey his glance has doom'd." THOMSON. 

IN our progressive view of ferocious quadrupeds, we are now 
to proceed to the contemplation of the tiger, one of the most 
beautiful, but at the same time one of the most rapacious and 
destructive of the whole animal race. Its propensities, however, 
show how little a mischievous disposition can be compensated 
by a beautiful form. 

This animal has an insatiable thirst after blood; and even 
when satiated with food, is not satisfied with slaughter, but, dis- 
playing the genuine characteristics of consummate and innate 
malignity, continues its ravages until objects whereon it may 
exercise its fury., can no longer be found. 

Happily for the rest of the animal race, as well as for man- 
kind, this destructive quadruped is not very common, nor the 
species widely diffused ; being confined to the warm climates of 
the east, especially India and Siam, although some are found as 
far north as China. No part of the world, however, is so much 
infested with tigers as India, nor any part of India so much as 
the province of Bengal, of which the southern part, towards the 
mouths of the Ganges, forming a vast labyrinth of woody islands, 
called the Sunderbunds, may be called the great rendezvous of 
those destructive animals. This extensive wilderness, according 
to Major Rennel, is so covered with wood, and infested with 
tigers, that no attempts have ever been made to clear and settle 
it ; and, indeed, an enterprise of this kind would, in the opinion 
of those who are best acquainted with the country, be extremely 
dangerous, and almost impracticable. 

The tiger generally grows to a larger size than the leopard or 
the panther, though somewhat more slender in proportion to its 
height and length ; and its form so completely resembles that of 
a cat, as almost to induce us to consider the latter animal as a 
tiger in miniature. The most striking difference which is observed 
between the tiger and the other mottled animals of the cat kind, 
consists in the different marks on the skin. The panther, the 
leopard, &c. are spotted, but the tiger is ornamented with long 
streaks quite across its body, instead of spots. The ground 
colour, in those of the most beautiful kind, is yellow, very deep 
on the back, but growing lighter towards the belly, where it 
softens to white, as also on the throat and insides of the legs. 



THE TIGER. , 

The bars which cross the body perpendicularly from the back to 
the belly, are of the same beautiful black; and the skin altogether 
is so extremely fine and glossy, that it is much esteemed, and 
sold at a high price in all the eastern countries, especially China. 
The mandarins cover with it their seats of justice, and use it 
also for cushions and pillows. 

The tiger is said by some to prefer human flesh to that of any 
other animal : it is certain, however, that it does not, like many 
other beasts of prey, shun the presence of man, and, far from 
dreading his opposition, frequently seizes him as his victim. 
These ferocious animals seldom pursue their prey, but lie in am- 
bush, and bound upon it with a surprising elasticity, and from a 
distance almost incredible. The strength, as well as the agility 
of this animal, are wonderful: it carries off a deer with the great- 
est ease, and will even carry away a buffalo. If left undisturbed, 
it plunges its whole head up to the very eyes into the body of its 
victim, to satiate itself with the blood. It attacks all kinds of 
animals, except the elephant and rhinoceros: furious combats 
occasionally happen between the tiger and the lion, in which 
both sometimes perish. 

The ferocity of the tiger can never be wholly subdued : for 
neither gentleness nor restraint makes any alteration in its dis- 
position : it appears insensible of the attention of its keeper, and 
would tear the hand that feeds it equally with that by which it is 
chastised. 

Father Fachard has favoured us with an account of a combat 
between a tiger and two elephants, at Siam, of which he was a 
spectator. The heads and trunks of the elephants were defended 
from the claws of the tiger by a covering made for that purpose. 
They were placed in the midst of a spacious inclosure. One of 
them approached the tiger, which was confined by cords, and 
received two or three heavy blows upon its back from the trunk 
of the elephant, which beat it to the ground, where it lay for 
some time as if it had been dead ; but although that had much 
abated its fury, it was no sooner untied, than with a horrible 
roar it made a spring at the elephant's trunk, which that animal 
dexterously avoided by drawing it up, and, receiving the tiger on 
its tusks, threw it up into the air. The other elephant was then 
allowed to come up, and, after giving the tiger some very heavy 
blows, would undoubtedly have killed it, if an end had not been 
put to the combat. 

Notwithstanding the determined ferocity of this creature, a 
sudden surprise has sometimes had an almost miraculous effect 
in preventing its attack. 

Some ladies and gentlemen being on a party of pleasure under 
a shade of trees on the banks of a river in Bengal, were suddenly 



;TIGER. 

Surprise^ by observing a tiger placing himself in a posture for 
making the fatal spring. One of the ladies, with amazing pres- 
ence of mind, seizing an umbrella, and unfurling it directly in 
the monster's face, it instantly retired. Another party, however, 
had not the same good fortune, and we cannot, without sorrow, 
record the melancholy catastrophe. 

On the 22d of December, 1792, Mr. Munro, an illustrious 
character, and three other gentlemen, went on shore on Sauger 
island, in the East Indies, to shoot deer. They saw several tracks 
of tigers ; notwithstanding, they continued their sport for some 
hours, and then sat down to rest themselves, after taking the 
usual precaution of making a great fire, and firing their pieces 
several times in the air, in order to terrify and drive away any 
savage animals that might be lurking around. They had but 
just commenced their repast, when one of their attendants in- 
formed them that a fine deer had approached within six yards. 
The gentlemen instantly seized their guns, when a tremendous 
roar like thunder was heard, and an enormous tiger sprang on 
the unfortunate Munro, and carried him off through bushes and 
every other obstacle, without any apparent difficulty ; every thing 
yielding to his prodigious strength. 

In this dreadful emergency, the other gentlemen immediately 
fired at the beast, and, as it appeared, not without effect, for in 
a few minutes Mr. Munro rejoined them, covered with blood. 
They lost no time in procuring medical assistance, but the un- 
fortunate gentleman's skull was so fractured by the teeth of 
the monster, and his neck so torn by its claws, that he survived 
but a short time. Thus fell a worthy and gallant officer, who, 
had he not been cut off by this unfortunate accident, would un- 
doubtedly have rendered the most essential services to his coun- 
try. This tiger appeared to be not less than four feet and a half 
high, and nine long ; and when he made the fatal spring, his roar 
was terrible beyond description. Fierce and tremendous as this 
animal is, the hunting of him is a favourite diversion with some 
of the eastern princes. 

The tigress produces four or five young at a litter, and when 
robbed of them, her fury rises to the most ungovernable height : 
regardless of danger, she pursues tne plunderers, who are gene- 
rally compelled to release one of their captives, in order to re- 
tard her progress : she has no sooner, however, taken it to the 
nearest covert, than she renews the pursuit even to the gates of 
buildings, or the edge of the sea ; and when her exertions prove 
unavailing, she expresses her maternal agony by the most tre- 
mendous howlings. 



( 103 ) 
CHAPTER XIX. 
THE 



* What if the lion in his rage I meet ! 

Oft in the dust I view his printed feet : 

By hunger rous'd, he scours the groaning plain, 

Gaunt wolves and sullen tigers in his train. 

Before them death with shrieks directs their way, 

Fills the wild yell, and leads them to their prey." COLLINS. 

HAVING described the beautiful form and ferocious disposition 
of the tiger, we shall now proceed to a description of the Lion, 
which is the noblest and most courageous of all the feline race. 

THE LION 

May justly be styled the lord of the forest : there, indeed, he 
ranges uncontrolled ; for his roar is so tremendous, that when 
reverberated by the woods or mountains, it resembles thunder, 
and all the animal creation flies before it. This roar is the lion's 
natural note ; for when enraged he has a different growl, which 
is short, broken, and reiterated. He then lashes his sides with 
his tail, erects his mane till it stands up like bristles, and his eyes 
seem to emit sparks of fire. 

The form of the lion is a perfect model of strength combined 
with agility, and at the same time strikingly bold and majestic. 
His large and shaggy mane encircling his awful front, his ample 
eye-brows, and fiery eyes, which, upon the least irritation, glow 
with a fierce and striking lustre, with the formidable appearance 
of his teeth, altogether form a picture of terrific grandeur, un- 
paralleled in any other species of the animal creation. 

The face of the lion is very broad, and quite surrounded with 
the mane, which gives it a singularly majestic appearance ; for 
the top of the head, the temples, the cheeks, the under jaw, the 
neck, the breast, the shoulders, the belly, and the hinder part of 
the legs, are all furnished with long hair, but that on the rest of 
the body is very short : his tongue is exceeding rough and prickly. 
and by licking will easily take off the skin of a man's hand ; a 
circumstance which ought carefully to be guarded against by 
those who keep lions, or amuse themselves with them, although 
ever so well tamed ; for if this animal once either see or taste 
blood, his fury is beyond all restraint, and he immediately de- 
stroys his victim. Several instances of this kind have been known. 

One gentleman in particular kept a lion, which was almost as 
tractable as a dog, and used to caress his master in the same 
manner as that animal. The gentleman often used to permit 






104 THE LION. 

him to lick his hands, a familiarity against which he was often 
cautioned by an intelligent friend. Regardless, however, of this 
warning, arid confiding in the attachment of his favourite, he 
continued the practice, until one time the, prickly tongue of the 
lion fetched blood from his hand, upon which the. animal, forget- 
ting his former affection, instantly flew upon his master, and tore 
him to pieces. 

The general colour of the lion is a tawny yellow ; his height 
from four feet to four feet and a half, and his length eight or nine 
feet ; but those we see exhibited in this country, are seldom so 
large. The formation of the eye, in regard to the contraction 
and dilatation of the pupil, is nearly the same in the lion as in the 
cat : the former cannot, any more than the latter, bear a strong 
light, and consequently he seldom appears abroad in the day, but 
prowls about chiefly at night. As the sight of the lion, notwith- 
standing the fierce sparkling of his eyes, is observed to be de- 
fective, his smelling appears to be less acute ; and as all living 
creatures avoid him, he is for the most part obliged to have re- 
course to artifice to take his prey. Like the tiger, therefore, he 
bounds upon it from some place of concealment, and on these 
occasions easily makes springs of eighteen or twenty feet. Some- 
times he makes two or three of these bounds: but if he miss his 
object, he gives up the pursuit, returns to his place of ambush, 
and lies in wait for another opportunity. The lion, as well as 
the tiger, commonly chooses his lurking-place near a spring, or 
on the brink of a river, where he may have an opportunity of 
surprising such animals as come to quench their thirst. 

However, although the lion and the tiger have a similar method 
of watching and seizing their prey, they differ considerably in 
some of their other characteristics. The natural disposition of 
the lion is universally allowed to have more of magnanimity, and 
contempt for inferior enemies, than that of most other large and 
predatory animals. This has induced many persons to relate 
wonderful, and, in some instances, altogether incredible stories 
respecting this royal beast. " A Jacobin monk of Versailles," 
says the Pere Labat, " being in slavery at Mequinez, resolved, 
with a companion, to attempt his escape. They got out of their 
prison, and travelled during the night only, to a considerable dis- 
tance, resting in the woods by day, and hiding themselves among 
the bushes. At the end of the second night, they came to a 
pond. This was the first water they had seen since their escape, 
and of course they approached it with great eagerness ; but 
when they were at a little distance from the bank, they observed 
a lion. After some consultation, they agreed to go up to the 
animal, and submissively to implore his pity ; accordingly they 
kneeled before the beast, and in a mournful tone related their 



THE LION. 105 

misfortunes and miseries. The lion, as they told the story, 
seemed affected at the relation, and withdrew to some distance 
from the water. This gave the boldest of the men an opportunity 
of going down to the pond, and filling his vessels, while the other 
continued his lamentable oration. They afterwards both passed 
on their way before the lion, which made no attempt whatever 
either to injure or molest them." The story, as thus related by 
two superstitious old monks, is too ridiculous to obtain any credit 
as to the motives which induced the animal to such a mode of 
conduct. It, however, may be considered to rest on a better 
foundation, when it is observed that the lion might have had his 
appetite fully satisfied previously to their appearance, and at that 
moment been too indolent to attempt to injure them. His re- 
tiring at the relation of their story, was no doubt to suit his own 
convenience, only thus interrupted as he was by the wanderers. 
Of the generosity of the lion, many instances stand on record. 
Every scholar is acquainted with the story of Androcles, the 
Roman slave, who, being ill-treated by his master, the proconsul 
of Africa, escaped into the desert, where, exhausted with hunger 
and fatigue, he took up his lodging in a cavern, which, contrary 
to his expectation, proved to be a lion's den. He had not re- 
mained lonsf, before an enormous lion entered. Androcles found 
it impossible to escape, and gave himself up for lost. The lion 
approached him, but instead of devouring him, held up his foot, 
which was wounded and bloody, and made a growling com- 
plaint, as if he craved the man's help. Androcles, considering 
that nothing could add to the danger of his situation, with a 
courage that despair excited, and undoubtedly with a trembling 
hand, laid hold of the lion's foot, and drew out a large thorn, 
which had been the cause of his pain. The beast, finding him- 
self much eased, caressed the man who had rendered him this 
service, then laid down and slept beside him. The next night the 
lion went out again, found some prey, brought it home, and laid 
it at the feet of his benefactor. A perfect familiarity com- 
menced between Androcles and the lion, and in this manner they 
lived three years. At the expiration of this period, the slave, 
knowing that the term of his master's proconsulship in Africa 
was expired, and supposing that he himself was forgotten, left 
die den in the lion's absence, and made his way to the Roman 
colony ; but being unfortunately recognised for a runaway slave, 
he was taken and sent to Rome to his master. By the Roman 
laws the master was invested with absolute power over his slaves, 
and this unfeeling barbarian ordered Androcles to be thrown to 
the wild beasts in the amphitheatre. No sooner was the poor 
slave placed in this dreadful situation, than he was approached 
by an enormous lion, which, as both he himself, and the specta 



106 THE LION. 

tors of this interesting scene supposed, was to bury him in its 
voracious stomach. At the moment, however, when the people 
expected to see the terrible creature open his tremendous jaws 
to devour his victim, he, to every one's surprise, fell down at the 
man's feet, and began to fawn upon him like a spaniel. Andro- 
cles then recognised him to be the identical lion with which he 
had lived so familiarly in Africa, which, having been unfortunate 
like himself, had been taken, and carried to Rome for the public 
shows. 

This happened in the reign of Caligula, and that emperor be- 
ing informed of so extraordinary a circumstance, obliged the 
cruel master to liberate the slave. By the emperor's order the 
lion was also given to Androcles, who traversed the streets of 
Home attended by his old friend. The lion would never leave 
him ; but constantly accompanied him, and proved to the man a 
source of wealth, by the emoluments which it procured him for 
the gratification of public curiosity. 

A remarkable instance of recollection and grateful attach- 
ment is related, by Mr. Hope, of a lion belonging to her grace 
the Duchess of Hamilton: "One day," says our author, "I 
had the honour of dining with the Duchess. After dinner, the 
company attended her grace to see a lion fed, which she kept in 
the court. While we were admiring his fierceness, and teasing 
him with sticks, to make him abandon his prey, and fly at us, the 
porter came and informed the Duchess, that a sergeant, with 
some recruits at the gate, begged to see the lion. They were 
accordingly admitted at the moment the lion was growling over 
his prey. The sergeant, advancing to the cage, called l Nero, 
Nero, poor Nero, don't you know me ?' The animal instantly 
turned his head to look at him ; then left his prey, and came, 
wagging his tail, to the side of the cage. The man put his hand 
upon him and patted him ; telling us at the same time, it was 
three years since they had seen each other; that the care of the 
lion, on his passage from Gibraltar, had been committed to him, 
and he was happy to see the poor beast show so much gratitude 
for his attention." 

When the lion has become acquainted with human superiority, 
his courage has been so degenerated, that he has even been 
scared away with a shout ; and in a tame state, we have an in- 
stance of one of these animals being overcome by a goat. Mr. 
Bruce, commander-general of the Senegal company on the coast 
of Africa, had near him a full-grown tarne lion, when a flock of 
go;its was brought that had been just purchased. They were so 
terrified at this enormous animal, that all of them ran off ex- 
cept one; but he, looking stedfastly at the lion, stamped with his 
foot upon the ground in a menacing attitude ; then retreated .three 



THE LION. 107 

steps, and, instantly returning, struck the lion's forehead so for- 
cibly with his horns, that the animal was nearly stunned. The 
goat repeated his blow several times, and the lion was thrown 
into such confusion, that he was at length obliged to conceal 
himself behind his master. 

The lion is sometimes held at bay a considerable time by the 
buffalo ; and it is not always that he proves victorious over other 
animals, as will appear from the following anecdote : 

A Florentine gentleman had a mule so exceedingly vicious, as 
to be altogether ungovernable, from its kicking and biting every 
person that approached it. He ordered it to be turned into the 
court of his menagerie, and a lion to be let loose upon it. 1 he 
lion roared aloud when he first observed the animal ; but the 
mule, without seeming at all alarmed, ran into a corner of the 
court, and so placed herself that she could only be attacked in 
the rear. In this situation she waited the onset, at the same time 
watching with the greatest attention all the motions of her ad- 
versary. The lion, aware of the difficulty, used all his art, but 
to no purpose, to throw her off her guard. At last the mule, 
seizing a favourable opportunity, gave him such a salute in the 
face with her hind-feet, as to beat out eight or ten of his teeth ; 
and to compel the animal to retire to his lodge, without making 
any further attempts to seize upon her, thus leaving her in quiet 
possession of the field. 

It is a vulgar error, that the lion is alarmed at the crowing of 
a cock. He is, however, said to be frightened at the appearance 
of serpents near him. Some of the Moors, induced by this no- 
tion, when they are pursued by a lion, are said occasionally to 
loose their turban entirely out, and wave about the twisted linen 
so as to make it appear like a serpent. The Sieur Frejus, in his 
Travels in Mauritania, informs us, that this will always have the 
desired effect of driving the animals away. 

The lion is a long-lived animal, although the precise period of 
its existence is perhaps unknown. By Buffon, it is limited to 
twenty or twenty-two years ; but it is certain, that its, life is of 
much longer duration. The great lion called Pornpey, which 
died in the Tower, A. D. 1760, was known to have been there 
above seventy years ; and another, brought from Africa, died in 
the same place, at the age of sixty-three. 

The lioness goes five months with young, and produces three 
or four at a time. She is smaller than the lion, and not so fierce, 
except in defence of her whelps, or in procuring them food, in 
which cases she is not inferior to the lion in ferocity, nor less to 
be dreaded. 

The influence of climate which is so visible in the whole arii 
;ial race, is strikingly conspicuous in the lion species. Exces- 



108 THE LION. 

sive heat appears essential to the perfection of its size, strength, 
and courage. The hottest regions of Asia and Africa seem to 
be its native soil. In the scorched plains of the torrid zone, in 
the immense deserts of Zaara and Biledulgerid, and in the other 
interior parts of Africa, lions are the most numerous, as well as 
the most formidable. In those desolate regions this animal reigns 
sole master. As a proof of the congeniality of intense heat to 
this animal's nature, it is sufficient to observe, that in the same 
latitude the lions which inhabit the mountainous parts where the 
air is cooler, have neither the strength nor the courage of those 
which are found in the plains ; and those which are bred in tem- 
perate climates, are not near so formidable as those which are 
produced under the burning sun of Africa, where their fury is 
tremendous, and their courage undaunted. The lion of the des- 
ert is not intimidated by the presence of men, nor terrified even 
by their numbers. A single lion has been known to attack a 
whole caravan. Having never experienced the arts and com- 
binations of man, they are under no apprehensions of his power. 

M. Buffon supposes that the species is reduced to the fiftieth 
part of its former number. The Romans undoubtedly contribu- 
ted very much to its diminution in the northern parts of Africa. 
Mr. Shaw observes, that they carried more lions from Lybia to 
Rome in one year for their public spectacles, than could now be 
found in all that country. It is also remarked that in Turkey, 
Persia, and India, lions are not so common as formerly. 

The interior of Africa is at this time the grand central resort 
not only of this, but of all other ferocious animals, with the sole 
exception of the tiger, which is a native of India, and the coun- 
tries beyond the Ganges ; and, according to M. Rennel, and 
other intelligent writers, maintains the exclusive possession of the 
Sunderbunds of Bengal. 

Among the colonists at the Cape of Good Hope, hunting the 
ion is a favourite diversion. In the day-time, and on the open 
plain, twelve or fourteen dogs will master a huge lion. Although 
the strength of this animal is so great, that one of them has heen 
known to seize a heifer, carry it off with ease, and even when 
holding it in his mouth, to leap over a ditch apparently without 
any difficulty, yet it is not very fleet in running. In hunting, 
therefore, the dogs soon come up with him : the lion, then, with 
a kind of sullen disdain, turns about and waits the attack, shaking 
his mane, and roaring with a short and broken growl. The dops 
then rush on him on every side, and tear him to pieces. The 
flesh of the lion is said to have a strong and disagreeable flavour, 
but, however, it is frequently eaten by the negroes; and the 
grease, which is of a penetrating nature, is of use for medical 
purposes 



GENERAL REFLECTIONS. 109 

The Moors use the skin of the lion as quilts for their beds 
It is said to have the remarkable property of keeping rats or 
mice out of any room where it is deposited, for a considerable 
length of time after it is taken from the animal. 



We have now ranged through the deserts and the forests, to 
survey that ferocious tribe of animals, which are terrible to man, 
as well as other creatures. In these, as in all others, the power 
of the Creator is conspicuous, although exhibited in forms of 
terror. This question may here naturally arise : How is it con- 
sistent with infinite goodness, that animals should devour one 
another, and be supported at the expense of one another's lives? 
To judge whether this system of predacious violence among 
animals can, even according to our limited view of the conse- 
quences, be deemed a real evil, we ought to take the following 
circumstances into consideration. 

In the present state of things, immortality is out of the ques- 
tion : the universal law of Nature ordains, that whatever lives, 
must die ; and it does not appear that the alteration of this law 
could add to the happiness of the animated creation. To man, 
the present life, in which evil is invariably mixed with good, is 
only probationary, and preparatory to another and happier state 
of existence, where evil shall be excluded, and felicity be per- 
manent and without alloy. To other creatures life is a blessing, 
which they enjoy for a time without any apprehension of its ter- 
mination, or any anxiety for future occurrences. The present mo- 
ment limits the sphere of their pleasures and their pains, as well 
as the extent of their hopes and their fears. The system of prey 
among animals, like the impulse of interest among men, is a spring 
of activity and motion : pursuit forms the employment, and seems 
to constitute the pleasures, of a considerable part of the animal 
creation ; defence, flight, or instinctive precaution, is also the 
principal business of another part ; and even in regard of the lat- 
ter tribe, we have no reason to suppose that their happiness is 
much disturbed by their apprehensions. Their danger, it is true, 
continually exists, and Nature has endowed them with an instinc- 
tive sagacity, which renders them so far sensible of it as to pro- 
vide against it in the best manner they are able ; but it is only 
when the attack is actually made, that they appear to suffer from 
their situation. 

To contemplate the insecurity of their condition with anxiety 
and dread, requires a degree of reflection which the compassion- 
ate benevolence of the Creator has kindly refused to them ; thus 
graciously providing that their present safety may not be disturb- 
ed with the apprehensions of future danger, nor their immediate 

K 



110 GENERAL REFLECTIONS. 

enjoyments embittered by the contemplation of distant calamity. 
The hare, notwithstanding the number of its dangers and its 
enemies, is as playful, and apparently as happy, as any other 
animal, until the very moment that the hounds appear in view. 

To this sketch of the Divine wisdom and goodness exhibited 
in the economy of animal life, we may add another consideration 
that equally tends to develope the attributes of the Great Author 
of Nature. 

The three modes by which life is terminated, are disease, decay, 
or violence. The brute creation, living according to the simple 
dictates of nature, is not very subject to acute diseases ; and this 
must certainly be esteemed a happy circumstance of animal life 
But let us consider the state of suffering in which a poor anima. 
is placed, when left to perish by age or decay. Man, in his sick- 
nesses and infirmities, has the assistance of his fellow creatures, 
who, if they cannot alleviate his pains, can at least minister to 
his necessities, and supply the place of his own activity ; but the 
brute, in his natural state, does every thing for himself. When, 
therefore, his strength, his speed, or his senses fail, he is neces- 
sarily delivered up either to absolute famine, or to the protracted 
misery of a life slowly wasted by pain and scarcity of food. May 
it not then be considered as a benevolent dispensation of Provi- 
dence, that in the present constitution of things, animals general- 
ly either fall victims to one another, or are slaughtered for the 
sustenance of man ; and that few of them, either in a wild or do- 
mestic state, suffer the miseries of helpless age and gradual decay ? 

To these considerations many others might be added, which 
would appear tedious, and exceed the limits of our present de- 
sign. Some, indeed, will be brought forward at another oppor- 
tunity, as we would not weary the attention by too long a con- 
finement fro one subject. It is, however, necessary in this place 
to remark, that by the present constitution of things, a far great- 
er number of creatures enjoy the blessing of existence than 
could possibly be partakers of it in any other system. If all 
animals lived on herbage, and their increase were not counter- 
acted by their hostilities against one another, they must have been 
destroyed by man, or otherwise the productions of the earth 
could not have supported the immense hordes with which it 
would long ago have been overspread; and all animated beings 
must have perished by an universal famine. In the present sys- 
tem of nature, the animal that has for some time enjoyed a happy 
existence in browsing the herbage, at last becomes food for some 
other, and thus all find subsistence. 

We have expatiated somewhat more largely on this subject, as 
the circumstance of animals supporting life by devouring one 
another, forms the chief, if not the only instance in the economy 



THE DOG. Ill 

of Nature, in which the marks of design are evident, but the 
character of utility obscure. The whole affords a curious sub- 
ject of contemplation ; and although we can only see a very 
small part in the comprehensive system, impartial reasoning and 
serious reflection, will render the view of things far different 
from what it appears to the eye of a superficial observer, and 
oblige us to exclaim with the poet 

" Sec and confess one truth must still arise, 

"Tis this though man's a fool, yet God is wise." 



CHAPTER XX. 
THE DOG KIND. 

" Of all the speechless friends of man, 

The faithful dog I deem, 
Deserving from the human clan, 

The tenderest esteem." HAYLEY. 

WE come now to a description of animals, carnivorous in- 
deed, but far less mischievous and dangerous than those which 
we have last contemplated. These we shall present under the 
general denomination of the dog kind, which is divided into a 
number of species, and widely diffused. 

THE DOG 

Is so well known, that although the race admits of numberless 
varieties, its external form scarcely requires any description ; 
but its habits and propensities form an interesting subject for the 
contemplation of the naturalist. 

This animal, equally remarkable for its docility, fidelity, and 
attachment, seems to have been designed by the Author of Na- 
ture as an assistant and companion to the human species. In 
order to accomplish the subjection of the animal creation, it was 
necessary that man should select some, of which he might make 
use in the subjugation of the rest; and among all the different 
orders of animated beings, none was so entirely adapted to this 
purpose as the dog ; for none is so bold and sagacious, so tracta- 
able and ooedient. To this day he assists man in the destruc- 
tion of such animals as are hostile to his interests, and in con- 
quering such as contribute to his support or pleasure. The dog, 
when taken into participation of empire with man, as if con- 
scious of his own importance, exerts a degree of superiority 
over all animals that require human protection. The flock and 



112 THE SHEPHERD'S DOG. 

the herd obey his voice : he conducts and guards them, and con- 
siders their enemies as his own ; and is equally useful when the 
sound of the horn, or the voice of the huntsman, calls him to the 
field. 

In his original state of wildness, the dog may probably have 
been a formidable enemy to man ; although he now seems only 
desirous to please, and actually possesses all the qualifications, 
and uses all the insinuating complacences, whereby an animal 
can conciliate human affection. 

In America, especially in those parts which are under the 
dominion of Spain, wild dogs are exceedingly numerous, and go 
in large packs, attacking almost every creature that comes in 
their way. These were originally introduced by the Spaniards, 
as the dog was not known in any part of that continent before 
their arrival. The wild dogs, however, when taken, are easily 
tamed, and soon become obedient and familiar. 

To describe, or even to enumerate, all the different kinds of 
dogs, or the discriminating marks by which each is distinguished, 
would be not only useless, but impossible. The different breeds 
are not only innumerable, but, by constant intermixture, perpet- 
ually varying ; so that every individual displays something pecu- 
Jiar to itself, in shape, colour, or character. No animal in the 
creation is so susceptible of change, nor so easily modified by 
climate, food, and education. We have already observed, that 
those animals which have been long under human management, 
never preserve the stamp of Nature in its original purity, like 
those which enjoy their original independence : as the dog is the 
constant attendant on man, accompanies him into different cli- 
mates, and in his society adopts more different modes of living 
than any other creature, it is not a matter of wonder that this 
animal should exhibit a greater variety than any other ; and that 
the influences of so many different circumstances, with the in- 
cessant intermixture of breeds, should preclude every possibility 
of systematic arrangement. We shall therefore content our- 
selves with pointing out a few of the most striking varieties. 

THE SHEPHERD'S DOG 

Is generally considered as the parent stock of the canine race. 
This faithful animal, ever attentive to his charge, reigns over the 
flock ; and is of the utmost importance in many parts of Great 
Britain, where extensive tracts of land are solely appropriated 
to the feeding of sheep and other cattle. This sagacious animal 
is so obedient to the voice of the shepherd, and so ready to exe- 
cute his commands ; that in conducting the flock from one place 
to another, and preventing the sheep from straggling, the ser- 
vices of one well-trained dog will be more effectual than all that 



THE CUR DOG THE GREENLAND DOG. 113 

could be performed by two or three men, without mentioning the 
attentive fidelity with which, in his master's absence, he executes 
his office of a guardian. 

THE CUR DOG, 

Although not considered by naturalists as a distinct race, is, 
notwithstanding, esteemed such in some parts of England , 
and its utility to the farmer and grazier is so great, that in many 
places no small attention is paid to the breed. They are ex- 
tremely useful in driving cattle, and exceed the shepherd's dog 
in size, fierceness, and strength. Some dogs of this kind pos- 
sess an astonishing degree of sagacity: they know their mas- 
ter's fields, are attentive to the cattle that are in them, go of 
their own accord their daily rounds, and if any interlopers have 
got among the herd, will quickly drive them out of the grounds. 

THE GREENLAND DOG. 

This race of dogs is generally white ; some, however, are 
spotted, and others black. The Pomeranian, Siberian, Lapland, 
and Iceland dogs, as well as those which run wild in America, 
are all somewhat similar to the Greenland dogs in the sharpness 
of their muzzles, their long shaggy hair, and bushy tails; and 
all have some resemblance to the shepherd's dog, but are of a 
larger size. The Greenlanders sometimes eat the flesh of their 
dogs. They make garments of their skins, and use them for 
drawing sledges, to which they yoke them, four, five, or six to- 
gether. 

The dogs of Kamtschatka are nearly of the same kind : they 
are strong and active, and their colour is commonly black and 
white. They are exceedingly useful in drawing sledges, the only 
mode of travelling in that country during the winter, and travel 
with great expedition. Captain King relates, that during his stay 
there, a courier with despatches performed, in a sledge drawn 
by dogs, a journey of 270 miles in less than four days. Accord- 
ing to Captain King's account, who gives a very interesting de- 
scription of these animals, they strongly resemble the Pomera- 
nian, or wolf-dog of BufTon, except that they are larger, and 
covered with coarser hair. That gentleman also says, that al- 
though they vary in colour, the greatest number are of a light 
dun. 

Of the fleetness of these dogs, Captain King gives the fol- 
lowing account, in addition to the instance already mentioneJ : 
" We were ourselves witnesses," says he, " of the great expedi- 
tion with which the messenger, who had been despatched to 
Bolcheretsk with the news of our arrival, returned to the har- 
bour of St. Peter and St. Paul, though the snow was at that 

K 2 



114 THE GREENLAND DOG. 

time exceedingly soft ; and I was informed by the commander 
of Kamtschatka, that this journey was generally performed in 
two days and a half; and that he had once received an express 
from that place in twenty-four hours, although the distance bo 
riot less than one hundred and thirty miles." 

These useful animals are trained to this business of drawing 
the sledge, when they are only whelps; and although the most 
general mode is to yoke five of them together, two and two, 
with a leader, yet deviations from this method take place accord- 
ing to circumstances. Mr. Lessop informs us, that he and M. 
Kaslof, governor of Kamtschatka, set out from Bolcheretsk, with 
their baggage, in thirty-five sledges, drawn by three hundred 
dogs, and that his sledge was drawn by thirty-seven, and M. 
Kaslof 's by forty-five of these animals. They arrived at Pons- 
tarisk with no more than twenty-seven out of the whole number, 
having lost all the rest by the hardships of the journey : from 
which circumstance we may conclude, that the sufferings of 
these useful animals are on these occasions very great. Mr. 
Lessop describes this mode of travelling as very expeditious, but 
extremely troublesome. He says, the dogs are sometimes very 
refractory ; and that on long journies it is almost impossible to 
enjoy any repose, by reason of the excessive howling which they 
make in the night. 

In the management of these dogs, great attention is paid to 
the training of those that are designed for leaders, which are 
valued in proportion to their steadiness and docility, and one of 
them is frequently sold for forty rubles, or ten pounds sterling a 
great sum in that country. 

In driving these sledges, the reins are fastened to a collar put 
round the neck of the leading dog, and consequently are of littte 
use in directing the rest. The driver has a crooked stick, an- 
swering the purpose both of whip and rein, with which, by strik- 
ing on the snow, he regulates the speed of his dogs. Sometimes 
he animates them to proceed by his voice ; and when they are 
inattentive to their duty, he chastises them by throwing his stick 
at them ; but at the same time he shows great dexterity in re- 
gaining it, which is the greatest difficulty attending his art : for 
if he happen to lose this instrument, the dogs immediately dis- 
cover the circumstance, and seldom fail to set off at full speed, 
continuing to run till their strength is exhausted, or the carriage 
overturned and dashed to pieces. Upon the whole, it appears 
from the relations of Mr. Lessop, and others, who have made 
the experiment, that when many of these sledges travel together, 
and are necessarily drawn by a great number of dogs, they form 
a very noisy and tumultuous caravan. 

When the summer approaches, the dogs are turned out to 



THE BULL-DOG. 115 

provide for themselves, but they always return to their masters 
as soon as the cold weather commences, when they are poorly 
fed with the offals of fish. In this part of the world, fish is a 
principal article of food, not only of the dogs, but also of the 
inhabitants. 

We have been somewhat prolix in this article of the dogs of 
Kamtschatka, as it constitutes an interesting circumstance in the 
history of the animal creation, and affords, in addition to an in- 
finity of others, a striking instance of the wisdom and goodness 
of the Creator, in thus providing in such various modes for the 
conveniency of both men and animals in different parts of the 
globe ; for it must be observed, that the people of Kamtschatka 
would be in a comfortless situation without their dogs ; and that 
these could not well subsist during the winter without their mas- 
ters, as it evidently appears from their never failing to return as 
soon as that rigorous season commences. 

We shall now proceed to make some remarks on the principal 
distinctions of the canine race. 

THE BULL-DOG 

Is probably the most courageous animal that Nature has pro- 
duced. It is not so large as many other kinds of dogs, but very 
strong and muscular. Its nose is short, and its aspect fierce. Its 
courage in attacking the bull is well known, and to the disgrace 
of humanity has been too often put to the trial. The persevering 
resolution and ardour of these dogs, is exhibited in an instance 
which happened sorneyenrs ago at a bull-baiting in the north of 
England : A person, confident of the courage of his dog, laid 
some trifling wager, that he would, at separate times, cut off its 
four feet, and that, after every amputation, it would attack the 
bull. The barbarous experiment was tried, and the dog contin- 
ued to seize the bull in the same mariner as if he had been per- 
fectly whole, exhibiting at the same time a striking example of 
his ferocious courage, and of the barbarity of his unfeeling owner. 

The number of this species of dogs is very much diminished, 
and its total extinction would be a desirable circumstance ; for 
as it always makes its attacks without barking, it is a very dan- 
gerous animal, and ought never to be approached by strangers 
without great caution. However, as the barbarous diversion of 
bull-baiting is now almost entirely laid aside, the breed of bull- 
dogs will be little attended to, and probably will be soon lost in 
the confusion of intermixtures. 

The refinement of the last and the present age, has produced 
a happy effect in abolishing those cruel diversions and savage 
customs which formerly disgraced human nature. The bull- 
fights in Spain, and the bull-baitings of England, are now almost 



116 THE ENGLISH MASTIFF. 

totally disused. The former, however, exhibited a greater ap- 
pearance of magnanimity than the latter, as in them the amateurs 
of the sport themselves attacked the bull; while those who delight- 
ed in bull-baiting were only stupid starers, who employed their 
dogs to perform a business which they themselves durst not un- 
dertake, and to face an antagonist which they would have trem- 
bled to approach. 

THE ENGLISH MASTIFF 

Was so famous in the time of the Roman emperors, that an 
officer was appointed to breed and send to Rome such of this 
species, as might be deemed proper for the combats of the 
amphitheatre. But the genuine and unmixed breed of these 
dogs, although not absolutely extinct, is now seldom met with ; 
and most of those distinguished by that name are a compound 
of different breeds. 

The real mastiff is much larger and stronger than the bull- 
dog. .His ears are pendulous, his lips large and loose, his aspect 
sullen, and his bark loud and terrific. The distinguishing charac- 
teristic of his disposition is that of being a faithful guardian of 
property, and suffering no depredation to be committed on the 
premises where he resides. Dr. Gail us, who wrote in the reign 
of Queen Elizabeth, informs us, that three of these dogs were 
reckoned a match for a bear, and four for a lion ; but from an 
experiment made in the presence of King James the First, it 
appeared that a lion was not an equal match for three of them ; 
for although two of the dogs were disabled in the conflict, the 
third seized the lion by the lip, and held him for some time, until, 
being dreadfully torn by his claws, he was obliged to let go his 
hold ; and the lion, exhausted by the contest, took a sudden leap 
over the dogs, and retired into his den. Experiments, however, 
of this kind, cannot give us any just notion of the proportion 
of courage and strength between those animals; for it must 
be considered that the lion in question, besides having lost much 
of his natural ferocity by the temperature of the climate, had 
long been in a state of confinement under the subjection of man. 
[t is therefore impossible to ascertain how many mastiffs would 
be a match for that undaunted animal in his state of natural 
fierceness, under the burning influence of an African sun, in the 
deserts of Biledulgerid. 

The mastiff, conscious of the superiority of his strength, has 
sometimes been known to chastise with great dignity the insults 
or impertinence of his inferiors. An animal of this kind, be- 
longing to a gentleman near Newcastle, had been frequently 
teased and molested by the barking of a little mongrel ; but at 
length, wearied with such impertinence, he took up the con- 



THE COACH-DOG, &c. 117 

temptible offender in his mouth, and composedly dropped it over 
the quay into the river, without offering it any further injury. 

THE DALMATIAN, OR COACH DOG.. 

Is very common at present in England, and is esteemed an 
elegant attendant on a carriage. It is, however, to be hoped, 
that the progress of refinement and good taste, will abolish the 
custom of depriving the poor animal of so useful and ornamental 
an appendage as its ears, which is so generally practised through 
the mistaken notion of increasing its beauty. Are not the deco- 
rations which Nature bestows on each animal, its greatest orna- 
ments, and is not an adherence to her laws the perfection of 
taste ? 

THE IRISH WOLF-DOG 

Is the largest of the canine species, and its appearance the 
most beautiful and majestic. It was peculiar to Ireland, but is 
now almost extinct. This was, according to Buffon, the famous 
Wolossian dog of antiquity. 

Wolves are no longer to be met with in Ireland ; and this 
kind of dog is unserviceable for hunting either the stag, the fox, 
or the hare ; we need not therefore be at a loss to discover the 
cause of the breed being neglected : it would, however, be worth 
^reserving, as it is a beautiful animal, its aspect mild, and its dis- 
position gentle. Although it never seeks to quarrel with any 
other dogs, it is far superior in combat both to the bull-dog and 
mastiff, exhibiting those characteristic qualities so much to be 
admired in rational, as well as irrational beings ; strength and 
courage, combined with peaceableness of disposition. 

THE HIGHLAND GREYHOUND 

Is a large, fierce, and powerful animal. It was formerly much 
esteemed by the chieftains of Scotland, and used in their grand 
hunting parties, but is now become rare. 

THE COMMON GREYHOUND 

Is the swiftest of all the canine race, but as it wants the fac- 
ulty of scenting its game, it pursues it by the eye. M. Buffon 
supposes this to be a variety of the Irish wolf-dog, rendered 
more delicate by the difference of climate and management; 
and it must be confessed, that both in its form and disposition, it 
bears no small resemblance to that animal. 

Greyhounds were formerly so much esteemed, that by the 
forest laws of King Canute, it was enacted that no person un- 
der the degree of a gentleman, should keep any dog of that kind. 



118 THE BEAGLE THE HARRIER, &c. 

THE BEAGLE 

Is the smallest of all the dogs kept for the chase, and is used 
only in hunting the hare. It is far inferior in speed to that ani- 
mal, which is the principal object of its pursuit ; but by its ex- 
quisite scent it traces her footsteps through all her turnings and 
windings with the greatest exactness, and with wonderful perse- 
verance, until she becomes at length exhausted, and unable any 
longer to continue her flight. 

THE HARRIER 

Differs from the beagle in being somewhat larger, as also 
more nimble and vigorous. It pursues the hare with eager im- 
petuosity, and scarcely gives her any time to breathe ; and the 
most active sportsman finds it sufficient exercise to keep up with 
the pack. These hounds exert their voices with cheerfulness, 
and make that lively harmony which has ever delighted the ears 
of the true sportsman. 

THE FOX-HOUND. 

Great Britain excels all other countries in her breed of fox- 
hounds, whether we consider their swiftness, or their perseve- 
rance. The climate seems congenial to their nature, for the race 
is said to degenerate when transplanted into foreign countries; 
and it is certain, that in no part of the world is there so much 
attention paid to their breeding and management. This, indeed, 
is not a matter of wonder, when we consider that the attach- 
ment of the English to the chase is so remarkable, as to be 
reckoned a trait of the national character. This propensity is 
so prevalent, that scarcely any price is thought too high for 
hounds of approved excellence. 

These dogs are also trained to hunt the stag ; and as a proof 
of their perseverance and spirit in supporting a long continu- 
ance of vigorous exertion, it is sufficient to observe, that a large 
stag having been turned out of Whinfield park, in Westmoreland, 
was pursued until the whole pack was thrown out, except two 
staunch dogs, which continued the chase. The stag returned to 
the park, made his last effort in leaping over the wall, and at the 
moment he had accomplished it, dropped down dead. The fore- 
most of the two hounds also reached the wall, but being too much 
exhausted, it lay down and immediately expired ; the other, un- 
able any longer to continue the pursuit, fell down dead within a 
small distance of the place. This is perhaps the longest chase 
recorded in the annals of stag-hunting. They advanced as far as 
Redkirk, near Annan, in Scotland, distant from Whinfield park 
forty-six miles by the post-road, so that the circuitous route they 



THE ENGLISH SETTER, &c. 119 

might be supposed to take, could scarcely be less than a hundred 
and twenty miles. The horns of this stag, which were the largest 
ever seen in that part of the country, were affixed to a large tree 
in the park, in commemoration of this extraordinary chase. 

Many other kinds of dogs are used in the sports of the field, 
and contribute to the innocent and healthful amusements of coun- 
try gentlemen. Of these we shall observe 

THE ENGLISH SETTER. 

This is a handsome and active dog: its use and qualities are 
well known. Its scent is exquisite, and its sagacity in discover- 
ing the various kinds of game, with its caution in approaching 
them, exhibit a wonderful specimen of animal instinct. 

THE SPANISH POINTER 

Appears, from the etymology of its name, to have originated 
from Spain, although it is now naturalized in England, where the 
greatest attention has been paid to preserve the purity of the 
breed. It is principally employed in finding partridges, pheas- 
ants, &c., either for the gun or the net, and is remarkable for its 
docility, its aptness for receiving instruction being such, that it 
may be said to be almost self-taught. In this respect it greatly 
excels the English pointer, which requires great care and atten- 
tion in training. A mixed breed between the Spanish and Eng- 
lish, is now chiefly used by sportsmen, and these are the setting 
dogs, which seem to be the most esteemed. 

THE LARGE WATER-SPANIEL, 

Is chiefly used in discovering the haunts of wild ducks, and 
other water-fowl ; it is fond of water, and swims well. In its 
disposition it is docile and obedient : its form is elegant ; its hair 
beautifully curled ; its ears are long, and its aspect is sagacious 
and pleasing. These doss are extremely useful in finding birds that 
have been shot, or disabled, and fetching them out from places 
which the sportsman cannot conveniently approach. The small 
water-spaniel is of a less size, but resembles the other in form, 
and is of similar habits and disposition. 

THE SPRINGER 

Is an indefatigable pursuer of its game, and exceedingly active 
and expert in raising woodcocks and snipes from their haunts in 
the woods and marshes which they frequent. 

Of this kind also seems to b.e that handsome little animal, 
known by the appellation of King Charles's dog, the favourite 
companion of that monarch, who is said to have been generally 
attended by several of that kind. 



1*0 THE COMFORTER, &c. 

Somewhat similar to this, but much smaller, is the shock-dog, 
a diminutive creature, almost lost in the great quantity of hair, 
which covers it from head to foot. 

Descending still farther, we have a variety of small dogs, 
such as 

THE COMFORTER, 

An elegant, but snappish and noisy little animal, and averse to 
the familiarity of strangers. It is chiefly entertained as an at- 
tendant of the toilette, or the drawing-room. 

THE TURNSPIT, 

A vigilant and spirited little dog, is now but seldom employed, 
although its services were of great utility before the ingenuity 
of mechanical improvements rendered them unnecessary. Be- 
fore the invention of a better method of working the spit, it was 
curious to observe the labours of this useful little animal. 

THE PUG DOG 

Is formed exactly in the same manner as the bull-dog, but is 
much smaller, and its tail curls upon its back. It was formerly 
very common in England, but now the breed begins to be scarce. 
Mrs. Piozzi informs us, that she saw great numbers of them at 
Padua, and that it still maintains its place in the favour of the 
ladies in that city. 

From the mixture of these, and other breeds, we have messets, 
lap-dogs, dancers, waps, mongrels, and an endless number of 
varieties and compounds, for which it is difficult to find a name. 
We therefore proceed to a brief description of those kinds which 
are of greater note and utility. 

THE ROUGH WATER-DOG 

Admits of two varieties, one of a larger, and the other of a 
smaller size ; but they are both remarkable for their long shaggy 
hair, and their aptness to fetch any thing, especially out of the 
water. They are web-footed, and swim with great ease ; they 
are fond of water, and are extremely useful in hunting ducks, 
and other aquatic fowl. 

THE NEW-ZEALAND DOG 

Pretty much resembles the shepherd's cur, and is common in 
the Society Islands. In those countries, the flesh of their dogs 
constitutes the principal part of the animal food used by the in- 
habitants. However disagreeable it may appear to us, dog's flesh 
was a viand on which the Greeks and Romans did not disdain 
to feed ; and Europeans, who have been able to overcome their 



..' 



.' , 




THE NEWFOUNDLAND DOG. 121 

prejudices, have tasted the flesh of these animals, and found it 
not unpalatable. Prejudice, in many cases, warps our minds 
more than we imagine, or perhaps are willing to believe. 

THE NEWFOUNDLAND DOG 

Is one of the largest, as well as the most sagacious and useful 
animals of the canine race. The dimensions of one, now or 
lately kept at Eslington, in Northumberland, the seat of Sir H. G. 
Liddel, Bart, were, according to Mr. Bewick, as follow : from 
the nose to the end of the tail, six feet two inches ; the length 
of the tail, one foot ten inches; from one fore-foot over the 
shoulders to the other, five feet seven inches ; girt behind the 
shoulders, three feet two inches ; and round the upper part of 
the fore-leg, nine inches and a half. It was very fond of fish, 
and would eat it raw out of the nets. It was web-footed, could 
swim and dive extremely well, and bring up any thing from tne 
bottom of the water. The extraordinary sagacity of these dogs, 
joined to their attachment to their masters, renders them, in cer- 
tain situations, highly valuable, as will appear from the two fol 
lowing well-authenticated anecdotes : 

A ship belonging to Newcastle, being wrecked near Yarmouth 
in a severe storm, A. D. 1789, and all the crew lost, a New- 
foundland dog alone escaped to land, bringing the captain's 
pocket-book in his mouth. He landed amidst a crowd of people, 
many of whom in vain endeavoured to take it from him. The 
sagacious animal, as if sensible of the importance of the charge, 
which had probably been delivered to him by his perishing mas- 
ter, at length leaped fawningly against the breast of a man who 
had attracted his notice among the crowd, and delivered to him 
the book. The dog immediately returned to the beach, and 
watched with great attention for every thing that came ashore 
from the wrecked vessel, seizing every thing that came up, and 
endeavouring to bring it safe to land. 

As another instance of the docility and sagacity of these ani- 
mals, Mr. Bewick relates, that a gentleman walking by the side 
of the river Tyne, and observing on the opposite side a child fall 
into the water, gave notice to his dog, which immediately jumped 
in, swam over, and catching hold of the child with h;s mouth, 
brought it safe to land. 

In the country from whence these dogs were originally brought, 
and from which they derive their name, they are extremely use- 
ful. Three or four of them yoked to a sledge, will draw for seve- 
ral miles two or three hundred weight of wood, without any 
driver or conductor, and after delivering their loads, regularly 
return. The Newfoundland dog is indeed a most valuable crea- 
ture, and we cannot contemplate his astonishing sagacity with 

L 



122 THE BLOOD-HOUND. 

out admiring the wonderful works of the Creator, displayed in 
the various modifications of animal instinct. 

THE BLOOD-HOUND 

Is, of all the canine race, the most beautifully formed, and 
superior to almost every other kind in sagacity. They are gene- 
rally of a brown, or reddish colour, and seldom bark. These 
dogs were formerly much used in several parts of Great Britain, 
that were infested with robbers and murderers, especially on the 
frontiers between England and Scotland ; and their exquisite 
scent, and wonderful sagacity in tracing the delinquent, are 
finely depicted by Somerville : 

" Soon the sagacious brute, his curling tail 
Flourish'd in air, low bending plies around 
His busy nose, the steaming vapour snuffs 
Inquisitive, nor leaves one turf untried, 
Till, conscious of the recent stains, his heart 
Beats quick : his snuffing nose, his active tail, 
Attest his joy : then with deep opening mouth, 
That makes the welkin tremble, he proclaims 
Th' audacious felon." 

For these purposes, the blood-hound is happily no longer 
necessary ; and as its present use is chiefly confined to the re- 
covery of deer, that have escaped, after being wounded by a shot, 
the breed has become much less numerous than it was in former 
times. 

These considerations, while they excite our astonishment at 
the wonderful instincts with which the Creator has endowed the 
animal race, must at the same time inspire us with gratitude for 
the favours conferred on us by his gracious Providence, in allot- 
ting to us our period of existence in an age of civilization, and in 
a country where a well-regulated government, by the equitable 
administration of laws, provides for individual security. 

We cannot dismiss this subject, without mentioning a custom 
established in several convents situated among the Alpine moun- 
tains, which does honour to human nature. In these sequestered 
and uninhabited tracts, travellers inform us that a breed of dogs 
are trained to go in search of persons who have lost their way 
in those unfrequented regions. They are every morning sent out 
with an apparatus fastened to their collars, containing refresh- 
ments, and written directions to the travellers to follow these 
sagacious animals to the convent, where they are hospitably en- 
tertained. By this singular and humane practice, we are assured 
that many lives are frequently preserved. 

In all the Mahometan countries, dogs are excluded from the 
habitations* of men; while cats, on the other hand, are held in 
the highest esteem, and indulgently treated in every family. The 



THE DOG. 123 

dogs, therefore, wander about at random in the villages, or streets 
of great cities, without any owners. The Mahometans, however, 
are remarkable for their humanity to the brute creation ; and if 
they have an abhorrence for these animals, they at least refrain 
from doing them any injury, and feed them with the offals of 
victuals, which they throw to them into the street. This human- 
ity is, indeed, carried to a very great height in some places, es- 
pecially in Egypt, where dogs are perhaps more numerous than 
in any other part of the world, and ext eedingly useful in destroy- 
ing a variety of vermin, and devouring the carrion which, in so 
sultry a climate, soon putrefies. A cer.ain portion of provision 
is sometimes given them at the public expense; and instances 
have been met with, of wealthy individuals, who have by will be- 
queathed a sum of money to be appropriated to the support of 
these animals. 

Although neither the utility nor agreeable qualifications of the 
dog can be called in question, it must be acknowledged, that, to 
these it unites some mischievous propensities. If we consider the 
numberless misfortunes caused by dogs, and that there are many 
country villages through which a person can scarcely either walk 
or ride in safety, unless he take great care to avoid being lacera- 
ted by their teeth, or thrown from his horse in consequence of 
their barking ; as well as the dreadful effects of canine madness, 
of which every year furnishes fatal instances ; that besides this, 
it is no uncommon thing among farmers to have ten or a dozen 
sheep destroyed in one night by dogs, which stroll about from 
the villages, and very often without being able to discover the 
delinquent ; and if we also consider that many persons keep 
those dogs who are not in circumstances to make a compensation 
for the damages they occasion, and some who are scarcely able 
to procure subsistence for their families, we cannot but think 
that these animals are somewhat too numerous. We are very 
far from being advocates for abridging the enjoyments of the 
poor, whether consisting in substantial benefits, or the gratifica- 
tion of fancy, and should be happy to inculcate an universal sen- 
timent of benevolence towards the animal creation ; but a me- 
dium ought always to be preserved ; and no species of brutes 
ought to be multiplied to the detriment of human society. 



( 124 ) 
CHAPTER XXI. 



" By wintry famine rous'd, from all the tract 
Of horrid mountains, which the shining Alps 
And weary Appenines and Pyrennees, 
Branch out stupendous into distant lands; 
Cruel as death and hungry as the grave, 
Burning for blood ! boney, and gaunt and grim, 
Assembling wolves in raging troops descend." 

THOMSON. 

FROM contemplating the varied utility of the dog, his instinc- 
tive sagacity, his firm attachment and pleasing qualities, which 
endear him to man, our attention is now called to an animal, 
which, in its exterior form and internal structure, exactly resem- 
bles the canine race, but possesses none of its agreeable dis- 
positions, or useful propensities. 

THE WOLF 

Has, in all ages, been much detested, and is universally con- 
sidered as the most savage enemy of mankind that exists in the 
animal creation. 

The appetite of the wolf is excessively voracious. Although 
naturally somewhat timid, it becomes, when pressed with hunger, 
courageous from necessity, and braves every danger. 

In countries where wolves are numerous, whole droves come 
down from the mountains, or out of the woods, and join in the 
work of general devastation. They attack the sheep-folds, enter 
the villages, and carry off sheep, lambs, hogs, calves, and even 
dogs , for at such times, every kind of animal food is equally 
agreeable. The horse and the ox, the only tame animals that 
can make any resistance against these destroyers, are frequently 
overpowered by their numbers, and their incessant attacks. Even 
man himself, on these occasions, falls a victim to their rapacity. 
They are seldom driven back until many of them be killed ; and 
when obliged to retreat, soon return to the charge ; for when 
their necessities are urgent, they become infuriate, and instead 
of being intimidated by opposition, will rush upon certain destruc- 
tion. They are particularly fond of human flesh, and if they 
were sufficiently powerful, would probably eat no other. Those 
that have once tasted it, ever after particularly seek to attack 
mankind ; and choose to fall on the shepherd, in preference to 
the flock. 

So insatiate is the appetite of the wolf, that to allay his hun- 



THE WOLF. 126 

jrer, he will sometimes fill his stomach with mud ; and although 
Nature has endowed him with every thing that can fit an animal 
>r the pursuit and seizure of its prey, as well as with the capa- 
bility of subsisting a long time without food, it is often his fate 
to perish with hunger; for, being driven by man into the seques- 
tered retreats of forests and mountains, the wild animals escape 
him by their swiftness or artifice, and those he can take are not suf- 
ficiently numerous to satisfy the cravings of his voracious stomach. 

About the year 1764, an animal of this kind committed the 
most dreadful ravages in some particular districts of Languedoc, 
and soon became the terror of the whole country. According 
to the accounts given in the Paris Gazette, he was known to 
have killed twenty persons, chiefly women and children ; and 
public prayers are said to have been offered up for his destruction. 

That wolves were once an exceeding great nuisance in Eng- 
land, is evident, from the rewards formerly given for their de- 
struction ; but the race has there been long since extirpated. 
King Edgar attempted to effect this beneficial purpose, by re- 
mitting the punishment of certain crimes, on producing a speci- 
fied number of wolves' tongues; and in Wales, certain taxes 
were commuted for an annual tribute of wolves' heads. Some 
centuries afterwards they increased to such a degree, as to be- 
come an object of the attention of government, and great re- 
wards were given for destroying them. Camden informs us, that 
certain lands were held on the condition of hunting and destroy- 
ing the wolves that infested the country. In the reign of Athel- 
stan, wolves abounded so much in Yorkshire, that a place of re- 
treat was built at Flixton, near Scarborough, for the protection 
of passengers against their attacks. 

The ravages of these animals being always the most terrible 
in winter, when the cold is the most severe, the snow in the 
greatest quantity on the ground, and food the most difficult to 
procure, our Saxon ancestors distinguished the month of January 
by the appellation of wolf-month. An outlaw was also among 
them denominated wolf-shed, or one that was out of the protec- 
tion of human society, and liable to be destroyed by the wolves. 

Wolves infested Ireland many centuries after their extinction 
in England, but now they are extirpated in that island ; and their 
numbers are very much diminished in most of the countries of 
Europe a natural consequence of the increase of population, 
and the extension of agriculture. 

The wolf is, of all animals, one of the most difficult to con 
quer in the chase; and in the forests of Germany, and othei 
countries, where they are yet numerous, the following are the 
methods of hunting them : 

In some sequestered part, they hang a piece of carrion on the 
L 2 



126 THE WOLF. 

branch of a tree, having previously laid a train, by leaving at 
proper intervals small pieces of putrid flesh, which the wolves, 
having an exquisite scent, can smell at a great distance. The 
hunters then wait till it be dark, and with great circumspection 
approach the place, where they often find two or three wolves 
assembled, leaping up, and endeavouring to catch the bait ; and 
while the animals are thus busily employed, they despatch them 
with their fire-arms. 

Another method is to take them in strong nets, into which 
they are driven by the hunters, who surround a large tract of 
land, and with drums, horns, and other instruments, accompa- 
nied with loud shouts from a large company that is generally as- 
sembled on the occasion, drive them into the entrance of the 
nets, where they are entangled, and easily despatched. Some- 
times they are taken in pitfalls, being allured by a bait. 

It is remarkable, that as soon as the wolf finds himself en- 
snared, and sees no possibility of escape, his courage entirely 
forsakes him, and he is for some time so stupified with fear, that 
he may be either killed, or taken alive, without difficulty ; and 
at that moment, one may muzzle him and lead him along like a 
dog ; his consternation seeming to extinguish his ferocity and 
resentment. 

Wolves are found, with some variety, in most countries of the 
old and the new continent. They are very prolific, bringing forth 
from five to nine young at a litter. The cubs, like those of the 
canine race, are brought forth with their eyes closed. The darn 
suckles them for some weeks, and it is said that she teaches them 
to eat flesh, by chewing it for them herself. Buffbn says, that 
the wolf goes above a hundred days with young, while some 
other naturalists limit its time of gestation to the same period 
with that of the bitch, which is about sixty-three days ; and from 
the accounts of the celebrated Dr. Hunter, there appears to be 
no room to doubt that the wolf and the dog will breed together, 
and produce an intermediate species capable of subsequent 
propagation. 

We have already mentioned that these two animals, although 
extremely opposite in disposition and habits, resemble each other 
in form ; it is also proper to observe, that in size there is not 
much difference, the wolf being somewhat taller than the largest 
greyhound ; but he is so far superior in strength, as to be able 
to carry away a sheep in his mouth. His breath is very offen- 
sive, his bite difficult to cure, and his aspect ferocious. 

Having given a display of the habits and disposition of the 
most destructive of all animals of prey, our attention will now 
be called to those of a creature which has always been as fa- 
mous for his artifices, as the wolf has been for his cruelty. 



THE FOX. 127 

THE FOX 

Is an animal well known in most countries, and common in 
every part of Great Britain. All the keepers of poultry are well 
acquainted with his depredations, of which at one time or an- 
other he gives them a specimen ; for he is not less artful in at- 
tacking the hen-roost, than the wolf is determined in assaulting 
the sheep-fold. 

Hunting the fox is a healthful exercise, and constitutes one of 
the favourite diversions of the gentlemen of Great Britain. There 
is perhaps no part of the world where it is pursued with equal 
ardour and intrepidity. Both their dogs and horses are supe- 
rior to those of every other country for this kind of chase, and 
yet they have sometimes, especially the latter, fallen victims to 
the ardour and length of the pursuit, which has in some instances 
continued from forty to fifty miles without intermission, and some- 
times at full speed. One of the most celebrated chases recorded 
in the annals of fox-hunting, is that of the noted old fox Cassar, 
started from Ayrcyholine, in the county of Durham, by Mr. C. 
Turner's hounds. The length of this chase was above fifty miles; 
and Mr. Bewick says, that Mr. Turner tired three horses ; and 
that no more than three dogs continued the pursuit, when he 
thought proper to call them off in the evening. 

The moment that a fox finds himself pursued, he flies toward 
some of his holes; but these being always stopped up before the 
chase begins, he has no other resource than his speed and cun- 
ning. He does not double like the hare, but continues his course 
straight forward, with great vigour and perseverance. A con- 
stant chase has sometimes been thus kept up for seven or eight 
hours together, or even for a longer time. 

The scent which the fox leaves behind him being exceeding 
strong, he appears sensible of that circumstance, arid uses every 
artifice to bewilder the dogs, and throw them out of their track. 
He generally takes advantage of the wind, and often crosses 
rivers, swims down small streams, or runs along the top of a 
wall, or an artificial hedge, in order to interrupt the continuity 
of the scent, and puzzle the dogs ; and his artful contrivances 
often succeed so well, as to ensure its safety. His urine is so 
offensive to the dogs, that it sometimes proves the means of fa- 
cilitating his escape. If he find himself, in spite of all his shifts, 
at last overtaken, he defends himself with obstinacy until he is 
torn in pieces. 

The fox generally fixes his residence at the edge of a wood 
not far removed from some village or hamlet, where he can listen 
with rapture to the crowing of a cock, the cackling of poultry, 



128 THE FOX. 

and the gabbling of geese ; all this is delightful music in his en ,s. 
He soon contrives an opportunity to pay them a visit, and begins 
by levelling all without distinction. He then carries off a part 
of the spoil, hides it at some convenient distance, and returns 
for another load. Taking off another fowl in the same manner, 
he hides that also, but seldom in the same place ; and this method 
he pursues until the approach of day, or the noise of the family, 
warns him to retire. He puts in practice the same arts when he 
finds birds entangled in springs laid for them by the fowler, with 
whom he takes care to be beforehand. He is equally active in 
seizing young hares and rabbits, and in discovering the nests of 
the quail, the partridge, and the pheasant. When better food is 
deficient, he devours rals, mice, and almost every kind of ver- 
min ; and even the hedge-hog, notwithstanding its prickles, is riot 
secure against his attacks. No creature, but such as are too 
strong for him, can escape this universal glutton. His depreda- 
tions are not limited to the search of animal food; for he at- 
tacks the wasp and the bee, for the sake of their honey ; and, al- 
though the whole swarm sometimes flies out and fastens on him, 
he soon gets rid of the assailants by rolling himself on the ground. 
He then returns to the charge, and at last carries his point. 
Foxes are also extremely fond of grapes, and do much damage 
in vineyards. 

A remarkable instance of the maternal affection of one of 
these animals, is related by Dr. Goldsmith : A she-fox that had 
but one cub, was unkennelled by a pack of hounds, and very 
hotly pursued. The poor animal, braving every danger rather 
than expose her cub to the fury of the dogs, took it in her mouth, 
and ran with it, in that manner, for several miles. At length, 
in passing through a farm-yard, she was assaulted by a mastiff, 
and compelled to drop her little charge, which was immediately 
taken up by the farmer, while its affectionate dam eluded the 
pursuit, and got off in safety. 

Of all wild animals, the fox is one of those which appear the 
most strongly influenced by difference of climate ; and there are 
found almost as many varieties in this species, as in that of any 
domestic animal. Those of England are commonly of a dusky 
red colour : the fore-part of the legs black, and the tail very long 
and bushy, and tipt at the end with white. 

The black fox is valuable for his fur, which in Russia is es- 
teemed superior to that of the finest sable. A single skin is sold 
for the enormous price of four hundred rubles, or between sev- 
enty and eighty pounds sterling. 

The cross fox, which derives its name from a black mark 
which passes across the shoulders, and another along the back to 



THE WEASEL KIND. 129 

the tail, is a native of the cold parts of both the old and the new 
continent: its fur is very valuable, being extremely thick and 
soft. Great numbers of these skins are imported from Canada. 

The corsac fox is common in the deserts of Tartary beyond 
the Yaick river. In summer its colour is a pale yellow, except 
on the throat, which is white. In^winter it is grey, and the end 
of its tail black. It is smaller than the common fox, and its hair 
is soft and downy. 

It lives in holes in the ground, and is hunted by the Tar- 
tars with falcons and greyhounds. Forty or fifty thousand of 
these foxes are taken annually, and their skins sold to the Rus- 
sians, at the rate of forty copecs, or about twenty pence each. 
Great numbers of them are sent into Turkey. The natives use 
their skins instead of money. 

Thus we have in this, as well as in some other animals, an 
exhibition of its various uses, and a display of the multifarious 
wisdom of the Creator, who has not ordained it solely as a de- 
predator, nor confined its utility to the amusement of the human 
species, but also rendered it highly serviceable to man as an arti- 
cle of commerce, and conducive to the intercourse carried on 
between nations. 



CHAPTER XXII. 
THE WUASEIi KXNTD. 



......... " Beneath the shining waste 

The furry nations harbour ; tipt with jet, 
Fair ermines, spotless as the snows they press ; 
Sables of glossy black; and dark embrown'd, 
Or beauteous freak'd with many a mingled hue, 
Thousands besides, the costly pride of courts." THOMSON. 

The reflections on the wise and beneficent dispensations of 
Providence, in accommodating the animal creation to the use of 
the human species, with which the subject naturally led us to con- 
clude the last chapter, induce us to continue the display of the 
Divine wisdom and goodness, in giving a concise description of a 
species of small, but exceedingly valuable animals, which are in 
some countries of extraordinary importance, when considered in 
a commercial point of view. These are principally the fine wea- 
sel, the martin, the sable, and the ermine, which are all included 
in the weasel kind, which we shall next describe. In the mean 
time it will not be unpleasant to contemplate in one view, those 



130 THE PINE WEASEL THE MARTIN. 

particular species which are so distinguished by the richness of 
their furs ; and while they contribute a valuable article of com- 
merce, furnish mankind with an opportunity of observing the 
wisely adapted beneficence of the Creator, in giving to these 
animals a covering, which, after having protected them from the 
rigours of a northern climate, serves as an article of utility, as 
well as of ornament, to man. 

THE PINE WEASEL 

Is found in Great Britain, but the species is not very numer- 
ous. It inhabits large forests, especially where the pine-tree 
abounds, on the tops of which it chiefly feeds. It is found in the 
greatest numbers in the northern parts of the old and the new 
continent: North America especially abounds with these ani- 
mals, anJ Ci"*'n thence prodigious numbers of their skins are im- 
ported. The annual importation from Canada has been known 
to amount to thirty thousand skins, and about half that number 
from Hudson's Bay. 

THE MARTIN 

Is the most beautiful of the weasel kind, and more common 
in England than the last described animal. It lives in woods, and 
breeds in hollow trees, and produces five or six young at a birth. 

The martin, when taken young, is easily tamed, and soon be- 
comes exceeding tractable and playful, but is always ready to 
take advantage of any opportunity to make its escape, arid flee 
to the woods, the residence to which Nature has given it the 
strongest propensity. The food of this animal is the same as- 
that of all the weasel kind. It is extremely fond of honey, anc' 
sometimes feeds on grain. 

M. de Buffbn informs us, that a martin which he had tamed, 
sometimes slept two days successively, and at other times re- 
mained as long awake; and that in preparing for sleep, it al- 
ways folded itself up in a round form, and covered its tail with 
its head. It made its escape two or three times, and returned 
of its own accord, but at last entirely absconded. 

The martin is about a foot and a half in length ; the body is 
covered with a thick fur, of a darkish brown colour; its head is 
small, and elegantly formed, and its eyes are lively ; its tail is 
long, and bushy at the end ; its ears broad. Its throat and breast 
are white ; ^its belly a pale brown; its feet are broad, and its 
claws large and sharp, being well adapted for climbing trees. It 
is very active, and its motions are quick and lively. The fur has 
an agreeable musky smell, and is held in high estimation. 

The difference between the martin and the pine weasel, con- 
sists chieflv in the colour, the breast of the latter being yellow, 



THE ERMINE THE SABLE. 131 

and the body of a much darker brown than that of the former. 
The fur of the pine weasel is also superior in fineness, beauty, 
and value. 

THE ERMINE, OR STOAT. 

This animal being brown in the summer, is called the stoat. 
In the winter it becomes perfectly white, except the end of the 
tail, which is black, and invariably retains that colour. In this 
season it acquires the name of the ermine, arid its fur is very 
valuable. It abounds in Norway, Lapland, Russia, and Siberia, 
and is also very common in Kamtschatka. In that country and 
Siberia, it is generally taken in traps, baited with flesh. The skins 
of the ermine are sold, in those countries, from two to three 
pounds sterling per hundred. 

The natural history of this animal is nearly the same as that 
of the weasel. Its food is the same, and it also possesses an 
equal degree of agility. The ermine begins to change colour 
in November, and in March it resumes its summer vesture. 

THE SABLE 

Is, of all the animals of the weasel kind, the most highly es- 
teemed, and its fur is the most admired ; a single skin, although 
not more than four inches broad, being sometimes sold for fif- 
. teen pounds, a circumstance which would be incredible, were it 
not attested by writers, who possessed every means of informa- 
tion on the subject. The fur of the sable possesses this pecu- 
liarity, that whatever way it is stroked it lies equally smooth, 
whereas all others, when stroked contrary to the grain, give a 
sensation of roughness : its colour is a blackish brown, and the 
darkest are the most admired. 

The sable resembles the martin in form, and nearly in size. It 
seems to be particularly fond of the shade, and inhabits the most 
impervious woods, where it lives in holes in the earth by the 
banks of rivers, or under the roots of trees : it possesses great 
agility, and bounds with velocity from tree to tree. From the 
singular closeness of its fur, which is extremely well calculated 
for resisting the water ; and from being frequently found in small 
islands, it is supposed by many naturalists to be amphibious. 

This small, but valuable quadruped, is a native of Siberia, 
Kamtschatka, and the islands which lie between that country 
and Japan ; but scarcely any are found in European Russia, and 
still fewer in Lapland. Siberia, however, is the country where 
it most abounds, and which furnishes the greatest part of those 
valuable furs which constitute so lucrative a branch of Russian 
commerce. It is therefore in the immense forests of those deso- 
late regions, that the business of sable-hunting is chiefly carried 



132 THE SABLE. 

on. This is the employment of soldiers sent thither from Russia 
for that purpose, as well as of criminals sent into exile. Both 
are obliged to furnish annually a certain quantity of furs, and 
for their encouragement they are allowed to share among them all 
the skins they can procure above the specified number, which, 
in a fortunate hunting season, amount to a very considerable 
value. 

The hunters generally form themselves into small troops, each 
being directed by a leader of their own choosing. They shoot 
with a single ball, in order to injure the skin as little as possible ; 
and frequently take them in traps, or kill them with blunt arrows. 

The sable-hunters frequently endure the utmost extremity of 
cold, hunger, and fatigue. They penetrate into the inmost re- 
cesses of those immense woods and wildernesses, with which the 
extensive and desolate regions of Siberia abound, without any 
other means of tracing back their way. than by marking the 
trees as they advance. Should they neglect this precaution, or 
through any inattention deviate from their track, they must in- 
evitably be lost. Sometimes they trace the sables on the new- 
fallen snow, place their nets at the entrance of their holes, and 
wait two or three days for their coming out, during which time 
they often suffer extremely from the inclemency of the weather, 
or the too early consumption of theif provisions. In short, the 
hunting of sables is a serious and perilous employment, cairicd 
on in a rigorous climate, at an inclement season, and in the most 
desolate regions of the earth, amidst an aggregate of hardships, 
of which we can scarcely form any idea. 

The season of hunting begins in November, and ends in Feb- 
ruary ; during that period, the furs are in their highest perfec- 
tion. At other times of the year, they are full of short hair, and 
of an inferior value. The best furs are such as have only long 
hair, black, and of a glossy brightness. The Russians and the 
Chinese have a method of dying them, but the deception is easily 
discovered, as the dyed furs have neither the smoothness nor the 
brightness of the natural hair. 

We have already observed the cross fox, and the corsac fox, 
the skins of which constitute an important article of trade, and 
especially the black fox, the skin of which is esteemed the most 
valuable of all the furs in use. There are also other animals in 
the northern regions which contribute to the supply of the fur 
trade, among which may be reckoned the fisher, a native of 
North America, which very much resembles the sable, and 
abounds so much on that continent, that sixteen hundred skins 
have been imported from thence in one season. Several others 
might be mentioned, but we shall content ourselves with having 
brought forward to notice the principal ones ; for in exploring a 



THE WEASEL KIND. 133 

subject so extensive as that of natural history, we must endea- 
vour to generalize, and cannot descend to minate particulars. 
In this sketch, however, will be found enough to give us an ex- 
alted idea of the wonderful plan of the creation, and of the 
greatness of the Creator. 

In the furs of these animals, of which we have just given a 
brief description, Russia carries on an important and lucrative 
trade with most of the countries of Europe and Asia, but most 
of all with Turkey and China. Constantinople and Pekin may 
indeed be considered as the two central points of this traffic, as 
the Turks and the Chinese are extremely fond of this article of 
dress ; and in those two capitals of the Turkish and Chinese 
empires, a greater quantity of furs are used, than in any other 
two cities of the world. 

Thus we see that the skins of these little quadrupeds consti- 
tute an important article in the commerce of a great empire, 
and one of the sources from which it derives a revenue that ena- 
bles it to maintain numerous armies, and to stand high in the 
political scale of nations. This consideration will open to our 
minds an ample field for reflection on the harmonious plan of 
Nature and Providence. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 
WSASS& BIND. 

" The artful, cruel, slender weasel, too, 
Delights in blood." SMITH. 

" Thus oft th' ichneumon on the banks of Nile, 
Invades the deadly Aspsi by a wile." LUCAN. 

As the valuable little quadrupeds, which, in the In Ft rhaptei, 
were, from their commercial importance, considered as a dis- 
tinct article of natural history, are generally classed with the 
weasel kind ; we shall resume the subject, and endeavour to en- 
tertain with as brief a description as possible, of some other ani- 
mals of the same race; and shall, in order to bring the subject 
into a closer view, preface it with an exhibition of a few general 
characteristics. 

Animals of the weasel kind, are distinguished from others of 
the carnivorous race, by the length, slenderness, and flexibili- 
ty of their bodies qualities which enable them to wind into 
very small crevices, in order to follow their prey. Here, there- 

M 



134 THE COMMON WEASEL. 

fore, as in all the other parts of the creation, we discover a sa- 
gacious design in the admirable adaptation of the structure of 
these animals to their mode of living and obtaining- their food. 

Another distinction belonging to this race of animals, consists 
in an unctuous matter, continually exuding from glands placed 
near the anus, which in some, as the ferret, the wecsel, and espe- 
cially the foumart and the pole-cat, emits an extremely offensive 
smell ; while, in the civet-cat, the martin, the fine weasel, &c. it 
affords an agreeable perfume. 

All animals of the weasel kind, are remarkable for rapine and 
cruelty ; and although the shortness of their legs renders them 
slow in pursuit of their prey, they supply the deficiency of speed 
by assiduity and cunning. They always suck the blood of every 
animal they kill, before they eat the flesh. 

These are the most striking peculiarities common to the wea- 
sel kind ; the different species of which so nearly resemble each 
other, that the view of one will give a very just idea of the rest. 
The principal difference is in size. They all subsist nearly in the 
same manner, and on the same kind of food, and prey indiscrim- 
inately on almost every quadruped, volatile and reptile, that is 
weaker and less than themselves. They are particularly destruc- 
tive to poultry and rabbits, as well as to rats and mice, and are 
keen devourers of eggs. 

THE COMMON WEASEL, 

Does not exceed seven or eight inches in length, from the nose 
to the tail, and the latter is not above three inches long. The 
height of this animal is not more than three inches. Notwith- 
standing its diminutive size, no animal of this class is more de- 
structive in warrens, and among poultry. It is also a great de- 
stroyer of eggs, which it sucks with extreme avidity. It is very 
common in Great Britain, and is well known on account of these 
kinds of depredations. It will attack a hare, which is often ter- 
rified into such a state of imbecility at the sight of this diminu- 
tive assailant, as to give itself up to it without resistance. To 
rats and mice it is a more dreadful enemy even than the cat, for 
being more slender, it pursues them into their holes. It is, there- 
fore, very useful to the farmer in out-houses and granaries, which 
in winter it commonly frequents, and effectually clears of all 
sorts of vermin ; but it often counterbalances these benefits, bj 
its destruction of eggs, and its depredations in the pigeon-houses, 
where it creeps into the holes and devours the young ones. It 
also catches by surprise sparrows, and all kinds of small birds, 
and always follows wherever rats or mice abound. When it 
enters the poultry-yard, it seldom attacks the cocks, or the old 



THE FOUMART. 135 

hens, but always aims at the young ones, and never fails to suck, 
or at le nst to break all the ea'gs it can meet with. The evening 
is the time when it commences its depredations. 

The weasel seems to hive a strong predilection for every 
thing of a putrid nature. It conveys its food to its hiding-place, 
and seldom eats until it begins to putrefy. It is an untractable 
little animal, arid when confined in a cage, appears in a contin- 
ual state of agitation. M. de Buflbn asserted the impossibility 
of taming the weasel, but his error has been corrected by experi- 
ment : for in some instances it has been rendered as familiar as 
a dog or a squirrel. 

The method used in taming it, is to stroke it gently on the 
back ; but it must be threatened, and even beat, when it attempts 
to bite. 

The female weasel generally produces four or five young ones 
at a litter, having previously prepared a nest of leaves, moss, and 
herbage, for their reception. M. de Buffon asserts, that in his 
neighbourhood a weasel with three young ones was found in the 
body of a wolf that had been suspended fiom a tree by the hind- 
feet; and although the wolf was completely putrescent, the 
weasel had formed a nest in its thorax. 

It has been observed of these animals, that when asleep, their 
muscles are so extremely flaccid, that they may be taken up by 
the bead, and swung to and fro, like a pendulum, several times, 
before they awake. 

The bite of this diminutive animal is generally fatal, as it al- 
ways seizes its prey near the head, and fixes its teeth in a vital 
part. An eagle having seized a weasel, and carried it up into 
Ihe air. the little captive so far disengaged itself as to bite its 
enemy in the throat, which soon brought him to the ground, and 
thus effected his escape. 

THE FOUMART 

Is an animal not uncommon in England: in shape it resem- 
bles the weasel, but far exceeds it in size, being not less than 
from fifteen to eighteen inches in length, exclusive of the tail, 
which is about five or six: it is generally of a deep chocolate 
colour. Its habits are perfectly similar to those of the weasel, 
and its mode of living in every respect precisely the same. It 
is exceedingly fierce and bold. When attacked by a dog, it fastens 
upon his nose with so keen a bite, as often to compel him to de- 
sist ; and when unable to conquer, will at least defend itself to 
the last extremity. 

In regard to this animal's mode of procuring subsistence, a 
curious circumstance was once observed : 

During a severe storm, a foumart was traced in the snow from 



136 THE ICHNEUMON. 

the side of a rivulet to its hole, which was at some distance. As 
some marks were observed in the snow, for which it was not 
easy to account, curiosity suggested the expedient of examining 
the hole, when eleven fine eels were found, which had been the 
fruits of its nocturnal excursions to the rivulet; and the marks 
in the snow, which had appeared so singular, were then discov- 
ered to have been made by the writhings of the eels in the ani- 
mal's mouth, while it was dragging them to its den. It would be 
a curious subject of investigation, to enquire by what means this 
crafty animal can obtain a booty, the seizure of which appears 
so difficult. 

Although the smell of this quadruped is in the highest degree 
fetid and disagreeable, yet the skin is used as other furs, and 
retains no offensive odour. It is, however, far inferior in value 
to the fur of the sable, the ermine, and other natives of the 
northern regions. The skins sell from eighteen pence to half a 
crown a-piece. 

THE ICHNEUMON 

Is an animal which has long attracted the attention of natu- 
ralists, and given rise to a number of absurd and ridiculous sto- 
ries. It has from time immemorial been domesticated in Egypt ; 
where, for its services in destroying the eggs of the crocodile, 
as well as its young, it was, like several other beneficial animals, 
worshipped as an emanation of the Deity. From the estimation 
in which it was held in that country, it has obtained the appella- 
tion of the rat of Pharaoh. 

The ichneumon is about the size of a cat, and in Egypt is do- 
mesticated like that animal, and kept for the same purposes of 
destroying rats and mice. In shape, it nearly resembles the fou- 
mart, or pole-cat: its fur displays a mixture of tints, white, brown, 
fawn colour, and silver grey. The domestic is larger than the 
wild kind, and its colours are more variegated : its eyes are small 
and sparkling : its claws are long. When it goes to sleep, it rolls 
itself up like a ball, and sleeps very sound. It frequently sits up 
like a squirrel, catches any thing that is thrown to it, and will 
often lie as if dead, until its prey come within its reach. 

This remarkable animal possesses all the strength and agility 
of the cat, with a greater propensity to carnage. It attacks the 
most deadly serpents, and preys on every noxious reptile; it 
darts with the velocity of an arrow on its object, and seizes it 
with inevitable certainty. To the crocodile it is a formidable 
enemy, as it destroys the eggs of that dreadful reptile, and often 
kills great numbers of the young immediately after their pro- 
duction. 

M. de Obsonville tells us of an ichneumon which he had 



THE GENET. 137 

reared, and which was tamer than a cat, and followed him 
,'herever he went. One day he brought to it a smaii water-ser 
pent, being desirous of knowing how far instinct would carry it 
against a creature with which it was entirely unacquainted. Its first 
emotion seemed to be a mixture of astonishment and anger. Its 
hair immediately stood erect: in an instant it slipped behind the 
reptile, and with extraordinary agility leaping upon its head, 
seized and crushed it with its teeth. This first essay awakened 
its natural appetite for blood. It became formidable to the poul- 
try, which it took every opportunity to destroy : it sucked their 
blood, and ate only a part of their flesh. 

These animals abound not only in Egypt, but in the southern 
countries of Asia: they are also found near the Cape of Good 
Hope. They frequent the banks of rivers, are amphibious, and 
will remain a considerable time under water. 

In this class are also enumerated the fossarit, the skunk, the 
zorilla, and several others; all of them discriminated from one 
another by some peculiarities, but their general characteristic 
seems to be the disagreeable stench they emit, which, in a greater 
or less degree, is common to all the animals of the weasel kind. 

Another tribe of this race is distinguished by the agreeable- 
ness of their perfume. So prolific is Nature, and so various her 
operations, that imagination itself cannot keep pace with the in- 
finite diversity of her productions. All this variety is ordained 
for some wise end, which, in a great measure, lies beyond the 
reach of our investigation. Human research has discovered and 
explained many of the wonders of Nature: future inquiries into 
her secrets will lead to new discoveries ; but all the recesses of 
the immense abyss will never be explored : man will never be 
able to comprehend the whole plan of infinite wisdom. 

THE GENET 

Ts one of those odoriferous animals which emit a perfume 
faintly resembling that of musk. It is somewhat longer than the 
martin, with a long and slender head, a sharp muzzle, and ears 
a little pointed. Its hair is soft, smooth, and shining, of a tawny 
red, spotted with black. Along the back it has a mane of long 
hair, which forms a black line from the head to the tail. The 
spots on the sides are round and distinct, those on the back 
nearly run together: its tail is long, and marked with seven or 
eight rings of black. On the whole, it is a beautiful, cleanly 
creature; and although active and persavering in pursuing its 
prey, is of a mild and gentle disposition. Its colours are agree- 
ably varigated, and its fur is held in great estimation. The genus 
does not appear to be extensively diffused, being seldom seen 
any where except in Turkey and Spain. At Constantinople they 

M 2 



138 THE CIVET THE ZIBET, &c. 

have genets in their houses, which are as tame as cats, and 
effectually expel rats, mice, and all other noxious vermin. 

THE CIVET 

Produces a perfume of much stronger quality than thnt of the 
genet, and affords a far greater quantity : in size it is also supe- 
rior to that animal. This is indeed the largest of all the weasel 
kind. Its teeth are strong and sharp, but its claws somewhat 
weak. It is active and nirnhle, leaps like a cat, and lives in the 
same manner, and on the same kinds of food as the weasel : like 
that, and most other carnivorous animals, it hunts its prey chiefly 
in the dark. It is naturally wild, and somewhat ferocious, hut 
when tamed becomes tolerably tractable. 

The civet is originally a native of warm countries, but lives 
and thrives tolerably well in temperate, and even in cold climates, 
if it be. well protected from the weather; and in Holland many 
are kept for the sake of their perfume, which is contained in a 
pouch near the tail, whence it is drawn two or three times a 
week. 

The very idea of animal perfumes appears offensive to a deli- 
cate mind ; but although this in particular is in the present age 
growing out of fashion, it was formerly very much esteemed, 
and sold as high as fifty shillings per ounce. The quantity of 
perfume which the civet yields, depends principally on the health 
of the animal, and the nutritious quality of its food. The ancients 
were well acquainted with its perfume, and ascribed to it certain 
fabulous powers ; it is so strong, that it is impossible to bear 
any considerable quantity in a room ; and no person could sup- 
port the scent of the animal, in a place not admitting a free cir- 
culation of air. This perfume, however, is generally esteemed 
more agreeable than musk; and industry, taking advantage of 
the caprice of taste, has contrived to make it a lucrative article 
of commerce. 

THE ZIBET 

Is, by some, considered as an animal distinct from the civet, 
while others suppose it to be only a variety of the same kind. 
They differ indeed in several distinguishing characteristics ; but 
they seem to agree in the most essential qualities; and their 
general relations are so striking, that all the perceptible differ- 
ence between them may, with the strongest probability, be sup- 
posed to proceed from climate, food, or other accidental circum- 
stances. 

THE GLUTTON 

Is frequently found in the northern parts of Europe and 
America, and derives its name from its voracious appetite. Lin- 



THE RACCOON. 139 

meus classes it in the weasel kind, from the length of its body, 
the shortness of its legs, and some other characteristics; but its 
body, which is about three feet loner, i s proportionably much 
thicker than that of the generality of this race of animals. 

From the shortness of its legs, this creature is unable to pur- 
sue its prey ; but its claws are peculiarly calculated for climbing 
trees, where it frequently watches whole days together, in ex^ 
pectation of the approach of some animal which it may seize on. 
The elk and the rein-deer are its favourite food, and when they 
pass under the tree, it darts down upon them, strikes its claws 
between their shoulders, and there remains fixed in spite of all 
the efforts of the unfortunate victim to extricate itself from the 
devourer. The glutton adheres immoveably to its station, and 
eats away the flesh until it reaches the large blood-vessels. Its 
voracity is insatiable; it stuffs itself until it can no longer move, 
and then remains in a state of torpidity by the side of the ani- 
mal it has killed, and thus continues sometimes two or three 
days, until its stomach be unburdened, and then it again begins 
to gorge upon the remains of the carcass, which it never leaves 
until it has devoured the last morsel. The fur of this animal is 
held in the highest estimation, and considered as inferior only to 
the black fox and the sable. It is extremely soft and glossy, of 
a reddish brown colour, except on the back, which is of a bright 
shining black, and which reflects the light like damask silk. The 
skins are sold in Siberia at five or six shillings a-piece-; in Ya- 
kutsk, at twelve; and still higher in Kamtschatka. There the 
women adorn their hair with the white paws of this animal, 
which they esteem a great ornament. The skins which are pro- 
duced in the north of Europe, are beyond comparison finer, 
blacker, and more glossy, than those of America. 

Thus we perceive that this singular animal, so remarkable for 
its insatiable voraciousness, furnishes one of the most valuable 
articles of the fur trade. Nature, in all her works, produces 
something either immediately or ultimately beneficial to man, 
and proclaims the beneficence, as well as the wisdom, of her 
Omnipotent Author. 

Several other animals of the weasel kind have been observed 
by travellers, and described by naturalists ; but as we would not 
embarrass the memory by a tedious detail of minutiae, we shall 
conclude this chapter by giving only a brief description of the 
raccoon and the badger. 

THE RACCOON 

Is common in many warm countries, particularly in several 
parts of the new continent, It also inhabits the mountains of 
Jamaica, whence numbers descend into the plantations, and make 



140 THE RACCOON. 

great havoc among the sugar-canes, of which they are remarl 
ably fond. They frequently do incredible mischief in one night s 
excursion. The planters devise various methods of destroying 
them, but they are so numerous as to render their extirpation 
impossible, and it is exceedingly difficult to prevent their depre- 
dations. 

The raccoon possesses great agility : by the help of its claws, 
which are extremely sharp, it climbs trees with great ease. 
When timed, it is good-natured and sportive, but busy and in- 
quisitive like a monkey. It examines every thing with its paws, 
and makes use of them as hands to lay hold of every thing that 
is given it, as well as to carry victuals to its mouth. It sits up 
to eat, and is extremely fond of sweet things ; but still more of 
strong liquors, with which, when it has an opportunity, it will 
get completely intoxicated. It has all the cunning of the fox, is 
very destructive to poultry* and will eat all sorts of grain, fruits, 
and roots. It delights in hunting spiders, devours all kinds of 
insects, and, when left to range in a garden, will eat grasshop- 
pers, snails, and worms. It opens oysters with amazing dexterity, 
and has a peculiar method of dipping in water every thing it 
intends to eat. Indeed, it will seldom taste bread unless it be 
well soaked. It is familiar and caressing; and leaps upon those 
it is fond of, moving with great agility. 

A French gentleman had, at one time, a raccoon, of which the 
following particulars are related : When confined by a chain, he 
always appeared gentle, but had little inclination to fondness: 
when liberated, however, he used to express his gratitude by a 
variety of little caresses. It sometimes happened that his ch^in 
broke, in which case liberty rendered him insolent, as he would 
roam about for three or four days together upon the tops of the 
neighbouring houses, descend, during the night, into the hen- 
roosts, and eat the heads of all the poultry, having previously 
strangled them. It was with great difficulty that lie could again 
be caught, and reconciled to bondage. 

He possessed a strong recollection of ill-treatment, and he 
could never be brought to forgive it : a servant, one day, gave 
him several lashes with a whip ; but ever afterwards endeavoured 
in vain to effect a reconciliation. At the approach of this ser- 
vant, the animal always exhibited symptoms of rage, and en- 
deavoured to spring at his enemy, uttering the most doleful cries, 
and obstinately rejecting even the most favourite food, till the 
object of his aversion quitted the room. He appeared to dislike 
noise; as he was always irritated by the crying of children, and 
frequently inflicted a severe chastisement on a favourite little 
bitch, when she barked too loud. 

The head of the raccoon resembles that of a fox ; its body is 



THE BEAR. 141 

thick and short, covered with long hair, black at the ends, but 
grey underneath. Its tail is long and bushy, and marked with 
alternate rings of black and white : its skin is the most valuable 
part of this animal, and is reckoned next to the beaver for the 
manufacture of hats. 

THE BADGER 

Is a very inoffensive animal ; and although Nature has fur- 
nished it with offensive weapons of the most formidable kind, it 
never uses them but for the purposes of defence. When attacked, 
however, it employs all its powers of resistance, and defends it- 
self with the most desperate obstinacy. 

The badger is about two feet and a half long, from the head 
to the insertion of the tail : it is of a dirty grey colour ; the legs, 
which are black, are very thick, strong, and short : it has five 
toes on each foot ; those on the fore-feet are armed with sharp 
claws, well adapted for digging its subterraneous habitations. It 
is a very cleanly creature, and never defiles its hole with ordure. 
Its different parts are converted to various uses. Its flesh, al- 
though not delicious, is not an unwholesome, nor even a very 
unpalatable food ; and the hind-quarters, especially when made 
into hams, and well cured, are by some esteemed not inferior to 
bacon. Its skin, however, is the most useful part, as it is made 
into coarse furs, collars for dogs, horse trappings, and divers 
other articles. Its hair is also used for making painters' brushes, 
so that the different parts of this little animal are convertible to 
a variety of purposes, and serve to show the comprehensive plan 
and beneficial designs of the Author of Nature. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 
THE BEAR. 

" There through the piny forest half absorpt, 
Rough tenant of the shades, the shapeless bear, 
With dangling ice all horrid, stalks forlorn : 
Slow pac'd, and sourer as the storms increase, 
He makes his bed beneath th' inclement drift ; 
And with stern patience, scorning weak complaint, 
Hardens his heart against assailing want." THOMSON. 

WE shall, in this chapter, describe a surly and formidable race 
of animals, which, however arranged by systematic writers, evi- 
dently constitute a distinct species, being distinguished both Vy 



142 THE BEAR. 

their exterior conformation, and many of their propensities and 
habits, from all other quadrupeds of the carnivorous class. 

THE BEAR 

Is an animal generally known, and yet various differences and 
contradictions exist among the writers of natural history con- 
cerning this subject, which can have originated only from the 
circumstance of not rightly distinguishing the different species. 

The three principal varieties of the bear kind, are the brown, 
the black, and the white, or great polar bear: the first is an in- 
habitant of almost every climate ; the black bear is chiefly found 
in the extensive forests with which the northern regions of Eu- 
rope and America abound. 

The bear is a solitary, savage, and ferocious animal; he chooses 
his residence in the most unfrequented deserts, and makes his 
den in the most dangerous and inaccessible precipices of moun- 
tains, where silence and solitude reign. For this purpose, he 
commonly searches out some natural cavern, or some hollow 
tree of an enormous size, which it is not very difficult to find in 
the immense forests of the hyperborean regions. About the end 
of autumn, at which time the bear is exceedingly fat, he retires 
to this asylum, and remains, during some weeks, in a state of 
total inactivity, and abstinence from food. This animal is not, 
however, like some others, totally deprived of sensation during 
that interval, but seems to subsist on the former exuberance of 
his flesh, without feeling the calls of hunger, until the supera- 
bundant fat which he had acquired in the summer season, begins 
to be considerably wasted. 

During the time of this apathy, to which the male bear re- 
signs himself, the female brings forth, and suckles her young. 
For this purpose she chooses her retreat in the most sequestered 
places, and apart from the male, lest he should devour them. 
She makes a warm bed for her cubs, and nurses them with un- 
remitting assiduity for the space of about four months; during 
which time she scarcely allows herself any support. The bear 
produces only two, or at the most three at a time. The cubs 
are at first not above eight inches long, and remain blind during 
the first month. The time of this animal's gestation is six months, 
and the beginning of January is their time of parturition. Al- 
though the male bear, whenever it finds an opportunity, destroys 
the little ones, the females are fond of them to a ferocious dis- 
traction ; and as soon as they have brought forth, their fierce 
ness is more violent and dangerous than that of the males. 

In the spring, the old bears come out from their retreats, lean, 
and almost famished with confinement and abstinence. They 
then ransack every place for food, climb trees, and devour the 



THE BEAR. 143 

fruit. They ascend the highest trees, with surprising agility : 
with one paw they hold themselves fast to the branches, and with 
the other they gather the fruit. They are remarkably fond of 
honey, for which they seek with great avidity and cunning, and 
will encounter any difficulties to obtain it. 

The bear is easily irritated, and his resentment is always furi- 
ous, and often capricious. When tamed, he appears mild arid 
obedient, but never ought to be too far trusted. He may be 
taught to walk upright, to dance, and play many curious pranks ; 
and the multitude are highly entertained with the clumsy motions 
of this rugged and unwieldy creature. The youn<* bears show 
a considerable degree of docility in acquiring these accomplish 
ments ; the old ones, however, will not submit to this kind of 
education, but manifest the most ferocious resentment against 
any attempt to subject them to discipline. 

The bears of America are of a small size, and quite black ; 
and although ferocious, are not carnivorous. Even when pressed 
with hunger, they will not eat animal food, but live on vegeta- 
bles, and are particularly fond of potatoes, honey, and milk. 
They lodge in the hollow trunks of large trees, which they climb 
and descend with great agility. The hunters generally take them 
by setting fire to their habitation. The old ones then come out 
first, and are slain, and the cubs follow, and are taken alive. 
The flesh of the young bear is reckoned a great delicacy ; and 
the paws of the old ones are esteemed an excellent dish. The 
fat is very sweet, and of great efficacy in curing sprains, and 
various kinds of swellings. 

Bears are found in most countries whence an increased 
population has not expelled them : but they seem to prefer a 
cold, or at least a temperate climate. The Romans exhibited 
numbers of them in their public spectacles. They were once 
common in England, and were included in the ancient laws re- 
specting beasts of chase. Long after their extirpation, they were 
imported for the inhuman purpose of baiting them, and it is much 
to be regretted, that this cruel diversion is still used in many parts 
of that enlightened kingdom. It is much to be wished, that 
every exhibition of this kind were prohibited under severe pen- 
alties, that so Englishmen might not be reproached with delight- 
ing in amusements disgraceful to human nature. 

Every trait of humane and generous feeling displayed by illus- 
trious characters, reflects honour not only on themselves, but 
also on the nation which their virtues serve to adorn. 

A very fine bear, having some years ago been presented to the 
Prince of Wales, was kept in the Tower. By the carelessness 
of the servant, the door of his den had been left open, and the 
keeper's wife happening to go across the room, the animal flew 



144 THE POLAR BEAR. 

out, seized the woman, threw her down, and fastened on her 
neck, which he bit, and without offering any further violence, lay 
upon her, sucking her blood. Resistance being in vain, she must 
have inevitably perished, had not her husband fortunately discov- 
ered her situation. By a sudden and well-aimed blow, he obliged 
the bear to quit his hold and retire to his den, which he did with 
great reluctance, and not without making a second attempt to 
reach the woman, who was almost dead with fear and the loss 
of blood. It is remarkable, that whenever the animal happened 
to see her afterwards, it growled, and made violent efforts to get 
to her. His royal highness, upon hearing of the circumstance, 
immediately ordered the bear to be killed. This fact is related 
in Mr. Bewick's celebrated History of Quadrupeds, and reflects 
greater honour on his royal highness' character than could ever 
be derived from the sanguinary successes of a Genghis Khan, or 
a Tamerlane. 

If animals of the ferocious kind be cruel and sanguinary, man, 
however, to the disgrace of his nature, sometimes strives to sur- 
pass them in ferocity and cruelty. Humanity must shudder at 
the excessive barbarities too often exercised on the bear, in 
teaching it to walk upright, and to regulate its motions to the 
sound of certain instruments. Its eyes are sometimes put out, 
and an iron ring put through the cartilage of its nose, to lead it 
by ; with a variety of other kinds of ill treatment. Some are 
taught to dance, by having their feet placed on hot iron plates, 
and playing to them while in that uneasy situation. To every 
feeling mind it is shocking to reflect that such cruelties should 
be exercised on the brute creation, for the sake of obtaining 
paltry contributions from an unthinking crowd, which is gratified 
by such exhibitions. Was it for this purpose that the benevolent 
Author of Nature has created these animals, and endowed them 
with life and sensation ? What account shall man render to the 
Sovereign of the universe, for this wanton and cruel abuse of 
those creatures which his hands have made ? 

THE POLAR, OR GREAT WHITE BEAR, 

Is a species very different from the common bear, and far ex- 
ceeds it in size, some of them being above thirteen feet long, 
with limbs of a prodigious size and strength. Its hair is of a 
yellowish white, long arid rough : its ears are short and round, 
and its teeth large. 

-The ferocity and undaunted courage of this animal have been 
remarked by all who have visited those frozen regions, where it 
makes its abode. 

The crew of a boat belonging to a ship in the whale fishery, 
shot at one of these creatures at some distance, and wounded it. 



THE POLAR BEAR. 145 

The bear, far from being intimidated, set up the most dreadful 
yells, and ran along the ice directly for the boat. Before it could 
reach it, a second shot was fired, by which it was again wounded. 
This served only to increase its fury. It presently swam to the 
boat, and, attempting to board, reached its fore-paw upon the 
gunnel ; but one of the crew, having a hatchet, cut it off. The 
animal, however, still continued to swim after them until they 
arrived at the ship, although several shots were fired, which also 
took effect. But on reaching the ship, it immediately ascended 
the deck. The crew having then fled into the shrouds, it was 
pursuing them thither, when a shot at last laid it dead. Such an 
instance of ferocious resolution is not, perhaps, to be found in 
any other of the quadruped race. It will not, indeed, hesitate to 
attack a party of armed men, and has scarcely ever been known 
to retreat at the sight of any danger. 

The attachment of this animal to its young, is not less remark- 
able than its determined courage. The white bear will rather die 
than desert its offspring. When wounded and dying, it embraces 
its cubs to the very last moment of its existence, and when by 
any means deprived of them, bemoans the loss with the most 
piteous cries. 

The sagacity evinced by these quadrupeds in searching for 
prey, is particularly worthy of attention. The Hon. Robert 
Boyle informs us, upon the authority of a friend, that the smell 
of the white bears about Greenland, notwithstanding the severity 
of the climate, is extremely acute ; and that sometimes when the 
fishermen have left the carcass of a whale floating on the sea, 
three or four leagues from the shore, whence it could not he 
seen, these animals will stand at the brink of the water, and, 
raising themselves on their hind-legs, loudly snuff in the air, and 
drive it, as it were, against their snouts with their fore-paws, and 
when satisfied what point the odour comes from, they will plunge 
into the sea, and swim directly towards the carcass. 

The flesh of this animal is white, and tastes like mutton : its 
fat is melted into train-oil ; and from the feet an oil is extracted, 
which is of considerable use in medicine. Thus we see that 
Providence has ordained that the white bear, although placed in 
the icy solitudes of the polar regions, should yield its tribute of 
utility to human industry and enterprise. 

They feed on fish, seals, and the carcasses of whales. They 
sometimes attack the moose, with which they have terrible con- 
flicts ; but the large teeth of that animal give it so great an ad- 
vantage that the bear is often worsted. The white bear inhabits 
only the coldest regions, and is seldom found on this side of the 
polar circle, unless when driven thither on the fields of ice by 

N 



146 THE PORCUPINE THE HEDGEHOG. 

storms. It abounds chiefly on the shores of Hudson's Bay, 
Greenland, Spitsbergen, and Nova Zernbla. 

We shall now proceed to give a concise description of some 
of the most remarkable animals of the scaly and prickly kind : 

THE PORCUPINE, 

Formidable in appearance, is, in disposition, perfectly inoffen- 
sive ; it lives on fruits, roots, and different kinds of vegetables: 
sleeps in the day, and feeds in the night. 

Some naturalists have asserted, that the porcupine discharges 
its quills against its assailants ; but this opinion is now univer- 
sally known to be erroneous. Although this animal does not pos- 
sess, in regard to offensive war, the extraordinary advantages 
which error has supposed, it is sufficiently armed to resist the 
attacks of animals much stronger than itself. When irritated or 
alarmed, it raises its quills, which form an effectual safeguard to 
its body, so that few animals are capable of injuring it. The 
largest of its quills are from ten to fifteen inches in length, thick- 
ish in the middle, and extremely sharp at the point. Between 
the quills there grows a kind of thin, black, and bristly hair. 
The tail is covered with short quills, white and transparent. 

The porcupine is not a native of Europe, although found in 
a wild state in Spain and Italy. It is common in all parts of 
Africa, as well as in India, Persia, and Palestine. The flesh of 
this animal is sometimes exposed in the markets at Rome. The 
Indians also very commonly eat it ; but they hunt it chiefly for 
its quills, with which they make a curious kind of embroidery. 

A porcupine was for some time kept by the late Sir Ashton 
Lever, which he frequently turned out on the grass behind his 
house, to play with a tame hunting leopard and a Newfoundland 
dog. These animals always began to pursue the porcupine, as 
soon as they were set at liberty ; but when the object of their 
pursuit found it impossible to escape by flight, he cunningly 
thrust his head into some corner, and erected his quills, with 
which his enemies pricked their noses, till at length they quar- 
relled between themselves, and thus afforded him an opportunity 
of escaping. 

THE HEDGEHOG 

Appears to be the porcupine in miniature. It is so generally 
known, that we need not describe it. We shall only remark, 
that it is one of the most inoffensive animals ; and that although 
Nature has provided it with a spinous armour, sufficient to nro- 
tect it from the attacks of the weasel, the foumart, and other 
beasts of prey of the smaller kind, it cannot secure it from the 



THE ARMADILLO. 147 

cruelty of man, or of dogs trained up to the sport of tearing it 
in pieces, merely to gratify the barbarous pleasure of seeing a 
harmless creature endure with astonishing patience the most 
wanton and unprovoked outrages. The cruelties inflicted on this 
inoffensive animal for savage pastime, are often such as must 
make sensibility shudder. Shocking, indeed, must it be to con- 
sider that man, weak and mortal himself, and liable to a thou- 
sand misfortunes, should find a barbarous pleasure in torturing, 
with savage cruelty, beings, which, like himself, are endowed 
with life and sensation, and, like himself, are exposed to a variety 
of physical evils. Although inferior to him in the scale of exist- 
ence, the consideration of that inferiority ought to excite his 
compassion, and not stimulate him to cruelty ; above all, it ought 
to excite his gratitude to the Bountiful Giver of all good, for 
that pre-eminence over the brute creation with which he sees 
himself endowed. 

During the winter, these animals wrap themselves up in a nest 
of moss, leaves, and dried grass ; and it is sometimes so com- 
pletely covered with herbage, that it resembles a ball of dried 
leaves : in this situation it remains perfectly torpid, till revived 
by the cheering influence of spring. The female produces four 
or five young ones at a time, which are soon covered with spines, 
though shorter and weaker than those of the parent animal. It 
is said that these creatures may be in some degree domesticated; 
and an instance once occurred in Northumberland, of a hedge- 
hog performing the duty of a turnspit at a public inn. 

THE ARMADILLO 

Is a curious animal, and, like the tortoise, is covered with a 
strong shell, or rather a mass of scaly incrustations. To give a 
minute description of the shells of this quadruped, would be ex- 
tremely difficult, or rather impossible, as they are all composed 
of a number of parts differing greatly from each other in the 
arrangement of the figures by which they are distinguished. In 
general, there are two large pieces of shell which cover the 
shoulders and the rump, between which lie the bands, which are 
more or less numerous in the different species. These bands, 
which somewhat resemble those in the tail of a lobster, being 
flexible, give way to the motions of the animal. 

The Indians hunt the armadillo with dogs trained for that pur- 
pose. The moment it perceives itself attacked, it flies to its hole, 
or makes a new one, which it does with great expedition, by 
means of the strong claws with which its fore-feet are armed. 
If no other chance of escape be left, it draws its head under its 
shell like a snail, tucks its feet close to its belly, unites the ex- 
tremities of the head and tail, and thus closely rolled up, pre- 



148 THE PANGOLIN. 

sents to its antagonists a callous ball, on which no impression 
can be made. In this posture it sometimes effects its escape, 
by rolling itself over the edge of an abrupt precipice, in which 
case it generally falls to the bottom unhurt. The most successful 
method of catching armadillos, is by snares laid for them in the 
places which they frequent. They are hunted chiefly for the ex- 
quisite delicacy of their flesh. They always burrow deep in the 
ground, and seldom stir out except in the night, while in search 
of their food, which consists of roots, fruits, and other vegeta- 
bles. They are harmless, inoffensive animals, and often grow 
very fat. 

Of this kind of animal there are several varieties : the six- 
oanded armadillo is about the size of a young pig ; it is gene- 
rally found in Brazil and Guiana: the kabassou, or twelve- 
banded armadillo, is the largest of all the race, being almost 
three feet in length : this kind is seldom used for the table. The 
weasel-headed armadillo receives its appellation from the form 
of its head : it has eighteen bands, and is about fifteen inches 
long. 

All the different varieties of the armadillo are natives of South 
America, and no species of it has ever been discovered in any 
part of the old world, although it seems to bear, without any 
apparent inconvenience, the severity of our climate. 

Some pretend that a close friendship subsists between the ar- 
madillo and the rattlesnake. It is indeed a fact not to be called 
in question, that both have been found in the same subterraneous 
apartment; but whether this circumstance proceeds from any 
friendly connexion between these two very different creatures, 
or whether it be merely the effect of accident, is not easy to de- 
termine, although the latter appears the most probable. It seems, 
however, to be a fault much too common among naturalists, to 
draw general conclusions from partial observations, accidental 
circumstances, or ill-authenticated accounts 

THE PANGOLIN, OR GREAT MANIS, 

Is a native of Formosa, and the other oriental islands ; and is 
also found in Guiana, where it feeds on ants. It is slow in its 
motions : it generally grows to the length of four feet, exclusive 
of the tail, which is nearly of the same length with the body. 
Like the armadillo, it is defended by a coat of mail, which pro- 
tects it against the attacks of the most powerful and ferocious 
assailants. Even the tiger and the panther attack it in vain ; for 
being closely covered with scales, which it can erect at pleasure, 
it opposes to the adversary a formidable rank of offensive wea- 
pons The moment it perceives the approach of an enemy, it 



THE PHATAGIN THE SLOTH. 149 

rolls itself up like a hedgehog, and by that means secures itself 
against the assault of every predaceous animal. 

The flesh of the pangolin is in great request for its delicacy ; 
but it is difficult to procure, as this animal lives in the most se- 
questered retreats, in unfrequented woods and morasses. 

THE PHATAGIN 

Is an animal apparently of the same species, but of a diminu- 
tive size, being seldom above a foot in length. In other respects, 
it resembles, both in its conformation and habits, the last described 
animal. It is chiefly found in Guinea, and has sometimes been 
denominated the scaly lizard. This animal may be considered 
as the connecting link between the quadruped and the reptile 
race. 

We shall now describe a creature, which is the most sluggish 
and inactive of all the quadruped race, and which seems to be 
the most miserable, if we could be supposed to judge of the 
measure of animal happiness. 

THE SLOTH 

Is a native of South America ; but one species of it, called 
the unau, has been found in the island of Ceylon. The flesh of 
both is eaten by the natives of those countries. It is said to be- 
long to the class of ruminating animals. 

The sloth lives chiefly in trees, and having ascended one with 
infinite labour and difficulty, it remains there till it has entirely 
stripped it, leaving neither fruit, blossom, nor leaf, after which, 
it is said to devour even the bark. Being unable to descend, it 
throws itself on the ground, and continues motionless until hun- 
ger again compels it to renew its exertions. 

Though slow, and apparently almost incapable of motion, the 
sloth is very strong, tenacious of life, and patient of abstinence. 
The strength of its legs and feet is so great, that having seized 
any thing, it is next to impossible to compel it to quit its hold. 
One of these animals having laid hold of a dog that was let loose 
upon it, held him fast at his feet till he perished with hunger. 

The sloth is about the size of a fox ; it is covered with a 
coarse ill-set hair: its nose is very blunt, its eyes black, its ears 
small, and its mouth extremely wide, extending almost from ear 
to ear; its legs are thick and clumsy. Its motions are so slow, 
that it cannot advance above three yards in an hour: they seem 
to be made with great efforts, and are always accompanied with 
the most piteous cries. 

Buffon observes of this animal, that when kept in a house it 
never sleeps on the ground, but always climbs on some post or 
door, for that purpose. If a pole be held out to it when on the 

N 2 



150 THE HARE AND RABBIT. 

ground, it will immediately cling to it ; and when the pole is ele- 
vated, it will immediately climb to the top. The same naturalist 
remarks, that the female sloth produces only one young one at a 
birth, which she frequently carries on her back. 

This appears to be almost the only animal to which Nature 
seems, according to our superficial observations and imperfect 
manner of judging, to have denied a conformation of body and 
power of action adapted to its wants ; but let us not make too 
hasty a decision in estimating its happiness. A single tree affords 
it subsistence for a considerable time, and consequently it enjoys 
plenty without any long search : and as a creature of so imper- 
fect a conformation could not possibly procure water, indulgent 
Nature has kindly taken care that it should feel no inconvenience 
from the want of that article, so necessary to most other animals. 
This circumstance alone shows, that the well-being of this crea- 
ture has not been overlooked by the Creator in the immensity 
of his works. Its plaintive moans, which we consider as expres- 
sions of pain, may perhaps be a cry given for its preservation, as 
all beasts of prey fly from the sound. It may have enjoyments 
peculiar to itself. We cannot judge of the sensations of this, or 
any other animal ; but we are certain that the God of Nature 
has never made any creature for misery. 



CHAPTER XXV. 
THE HARE AND RABBIT. 

" 'Tis instinct that directs the timid hare 

To choose her soft abode. With step revers'd 

She forms the doubling maze ; then, ere the morn 

Peeps through the clouds, leaps to her close recess." THOMSON. 

The hare and the rabbit, two gentle and timid animals, which, 
although troublesome to man in frequently destroying the fruits 
of his agricultural labours, are not without their utility in furnish- 
ing an excellent viand for the table, as well as a considerable 
article of commerce, will form the subject of the present chap- 
ter, which, though short, we hope will contain its share of enter- 
tainment and usefulness. Both these animals are destitute of 
every means of defence, and on every side surrounded with ene- 
mies ; but the great Author and Preserver of all beings, has, in 
the wise and good plan of his universal providence, given to one 
such a variety of means of escape, and to the other so amazing 
a fecundity, that neither is extirpated. 



THE HARE. 151 

THE HARE 

Is an animal so generally known, that a minute description is 
unnecessary. It is proper, however, to remark, that being fur- 
nished with long ears, which are readily moved and directed with 
facility to every quarter, it is instantaneously warned of the ap- 
proach of danger ; and the largeness and prominency of its eyes, 
adapted to the perception of objects in every direction, equally 
contribute to its safety. Its swiftness, also, is such, that it soon 
leaves its pursuers behind ; and its enemies can seize it only by 
surprise, or by wearying it out with long and persevering pur- 
suit. The hind-legs of the hare being much longer than those 
before, and very strong and muscular, give it a singular facility 
of running up a hill ; an advantage of which, from an instinctive 
knowledge of its powers, it seldom fails to avail itself. 

Thus formed for escape, apprehensive of every danger, and 
attentive to every alarm, this inoffensive animal might be sup- 
posed to live in a state of tolerable security ; but every rapacious 
beast and bird is its enemy ; and man, more formidable than all, 
makes use of every artifice to obtain so delicious an article of 
food for his table. 

Were we to enumerate the various stratagems which human 
ingenuity has invented for taking this timid creature, we might 
also enter into a long detail of its contrivances for evading pur- 
suit. The hare frequently runs to a pool of water, and swims 
to a cluster of rushes growing in the middle, where it conceals 
itself from the view of the dogs, or crosses a stream in order to 
break their scent. It will sometimes run into a sheep-fold, and 
lie down among the sheep, or leap upon an old wall, and hide 
itself among the ivy, or weeds growing on the top ; and Fouil- 
loux says, that he has seen a hare, which, after having run more 
than two hours before the dogs, pushed another hare from its 
seat, and took possession of it, thus concealing itself at the 
other's risk. 

The hare derives a considerable degree of safety from its co- 
lour resembling that of stubble, or fallow ground : in some of the 
northern regions it turns white in winter, and is scarcely distin- 
guishable from the snow, which demonstrates the attention of the 
Author of Nature to the preservation of his creatures. 

Mr. Borlase, in his History of Cornwall, gives an account of a 
hare which was so completely tamed, as to lie quietly under a 
chair in a common sitting-room, feed from the hand, and, after 
occasionally regaling in the garden, return to the house, as its 
proper habitation : its evenings were always spent with a spaniel 
and a greyhound, which slept quietly on the same hearth, and 



152 THE RABBIT. 

even permitted the little creature to rest upon their bodies, though 
both of these animals were remarkably fond of hare-hunting. 

The hare is found in most parts of the world. Its flesh was 
forbidden to the Jews, but was esteemed a great delicacy among 
the Romans, as it is now at our tables. Among the ancient 
Britons this animal was held sacred : at this day it is reckoned 
unclean by the Mahometans. The fur of the hare is of great use 
in the manufacturing of hats ; and many thousands of their skins 
are annually imported from Russia for this purpose. 

The hare is very prolific. The female goes thirty days with 
young, and produces three or four at a litter, three or four times 
a year. 

THE RABBIT 

Is an animal so common, and so well known, that any descrip- 
tion of its form would be superfluous ; it may not, however, be 
amiss to observe, that although the tame kind assume a variety 
of colours, the wild are invariably brown. 

Notwithstanding the general resemblance which exists be- 
tween this animal and the hare, their habits and propensities are 
very different, as well as their fecundity, and several other dis- 
tinguishing characteristics ; and they also seem to have a natural 
aversion for each other. 

The rabbit lives to the age of nine or ten years. It prefers a 
warm climate ; and in Sweden, and other northern regions, it 
cannot be reared but in houses. It is common, however, in all 
the temperate countries of Europe. In Spain they had once be- 
come so numerous, and were found so destructive to vegetation, 
that the inhabitants were obliged to introduce ferrets from Af- 
rica, in order to diminish their numbers. 

They abound in every part of Great Britain, especially in 
Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Lincolnshire, and on the wolds of 
Yorkshire ; but in many of these parts several warrens have been 
lately converted into sheep pastures, or tillage, and the number 
of rabbits is consequently diminishing. 

The fecundity of the rabbit is astonishing, and exhibits a curi- 
ous article in the history of animated nature. This little quad- 
ruped breeds seven times in a year, and generally produces seven 
or eight young at a time ; whence may be calculated the won- 
derful, and almost incredible increase of which a single pair 
might in a few years be capable ; but as their propagation is 
rapid, their enemies also are numerous. Foxes, foumarts, and 
almost all animals of the weasel kind, make them their prey, 
without reckoning the immense numbers taken for the use of 
man. Indeed, if a considerable reduction did not by various 



THE RABBIT. 153 

means take place, there is every reason to believe that their num- 
bers would exceed the means of support, and totally consume 
the whole vegetable produce of the country. In this animal, 
therefore, as well as in many others, we discover a striking dis- 
play of the wisdom of the Creator, in so exactly proportioning 
the measure of fecundity and destruction. 

The rabbit is not among the indigenous animals of America ; 
but in many of the West India islands there arc great numbers, 
which have originated from a stock carried thither from the old 
continent. 

One striking dissimilarity between the habits of this quadru- 
ped, and those of the hare, to which, although inferior in size, 
it bears so visible a resemblance, is, that the former burrows in 
holes in the ground, while the latter depends on speed for its se- 
curity. The flesh of the rabbit, as well as that of the hare, is 
esteemed unclean by the Jews and the Mahometans, but is con- 
sidered as a delicacy among Christians ; and the fur of the one as 
well as of the other, constitutes a very considerable article in 
the manufacture of hats. The skins of the rabbits, indeed, con- 
stitute no small part of the profits of those who keep warrens. 
Thus we see how wonderfully the Creator has multiplied his 
blessings, and how much he has rendered this prolific little animal 
conducive to our convenience and comfort. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

" Her chariot is an empty hazel-nut, 
Made by the joiner squirrel, or old grub, 
Time out of mind the fairies' coach-makers." 

As the objects which natural history presents, are so exceed- 
ingly numerous, and especially as it is not our design to impose 
on the memory a burdensome task, which might interfere with 
other necessary studies ; but rather by the way of an agreeable 
amusement to lead to the delightful contemplation of the wis- 
dom, power, and beneficence of the Creator, displayed in his 
works, we shall, in pursuance of our original plan, without de- 
scending to minutias, go forward to some of the most striking 
objects of the animal creation ; and in this undertaking we hope 
to be able to season instruction with pleasure. 

We might, indeed, take up some time with elaborate descrip- 
tions of the Guinea-pig an animal of diminutive size, and in- 
considerable utility, in comparison of many others; and which 
is often domesticated among us ; as also the spotted cavy, the 



164 THE SQUIRREL. 

agouti, and many others too numerous to examine in detail, most 
of them natives of South America, or other distant regions, and 
seldom seen in Europe ; but knowing well the value of time, 
and the importance of other studies, we shall endeavour to ex- 
hibit such objects as are more particularly interesting. We can- 
not, however, omit to take notice of 

THE SQUIRREL, 

A beautiful little animal, equally remarkable for the elegance 
of its form, the liveliness of its disposition, and the agility of its 
motions. It is gentle and harmless : though naturally wild, it is 
easily domesticated ; and although excessively timid, it soon be- 
comes familiar. 

The head, body, tail, and legs of this elegant little quadruped, 
are of a bright brown colour ; the belly and breast are white, 
its eyes black, large, and full of vivacity; but its tail, which is 
long and umbrageous, constitutes its greatest singularity, as well 
as its principal ornament. It is also not less useful than orna- 
mental ; for being sufficiently large and bushy to cover the whole 
body, it serves as an excellent defence against the inclemencies 
of the weather. It also greatly assists it in clinging and adhering 
to trees ; and Linnaeus, as well as other naturalists, assures us, 
that in crossing a river, the squirrel places itself upon a piece 
of bark, and erecting its tail, in order to catch the wind, uses it 
as a sail, and thus commits itself to the mercy of the waves. It 
would certainly be both curious and interesting to be an eye- 
witness of one of their voyages, and a benevolent heart could not 
forbear wishing safety and success to the little navigators. The 
fact, indeed, would appear incredible, were it not attested by 
such respectable evidence. If, however, it be true, it exhibits a 
striking specimen of animal instinct, although not more won- 
derful than many others which are displayed in the brute creation. 

The squirrel lives in woods and groves, arid makes its nest of 
dry leaves in the hollows of trees : it seldom descends to the 
ground, but leaps from tree to tree with astonishing agility. It 
sits up to eat, and feeds itself with its fore-paws. Its food con- 
sists of fruits, nuts, acorns, &c. of which it accumulates a plen- 
tiful store for its winter provision. In the spring it feeds on young 
shoots and buds, and is extremely fond of the cones of the fir- 
tree. This beautiful little animal, by its sportive bounds from tree 
to tree, enlivens the sylvan scene, and merits the benevolent pro- 
tection of man on account of its docility and innocence. Being 
naturally fond of warmth, it will, when domesticated, creep into 
a person's pocket, sleeve, or bosom, with the most perfect con- 
fidence and familiarity. 

Of this animal, zoologists have enumerated a variety of species, 





IT?"? SQUIRREL. 



92 B'l 



THE FLYING SQUIRREL THE JERBOA. 155 

some of which are to be met with in almost every country. 
Among these, are the grey squirrel, the fur of which is very 
valuable ; the black squirrel of Mexico ; the Barbary and the 
palm squirrel ; the fat squirrel, which, among the Romans, was 
esteemed a great delicacy for the table, and which they kept and 
fed in places constructed for that purpose, and distinguished by 
the name of gliraria, and many others. In conformity, however, 
to the conciseness of our plan, we shall only observe 

THE FLYING SQUIRREL, 

Which is peculiarly distinguished by a membranous continua- 
tion of the skin of the sides and belly, extending from the fore 
to the hind feet. By this appendage, it is so much assisted in 
making bounds from tree to tree, that it frequently springs to the 
distance of twenty or thirty yards. Its skin is remarkably fine 
and soft, being covered with a beautiful fur, of a dark colour in 
some parts, and a lighter in others. Its head is small and ele- 
gant. It is mild in its disposition ; but, although easily tamed, 
it is difficult to retain in a state of domestication, and seizes the 
first opportunity of making its escape. It is less than the com- 
mon squirrel : it lives in trees, sleeps in the day, but exhibits its 
activity in the night. 

The membranous appendage connecting its legs, being stretch- 
ed out in the act of leaping, extends the surface of the body, by 
which it is better supported by the air, and the acceleration of its 
fall is retarded. This gives it the appearance of flying, from 
which its name has originated. 

THE JERBOA 

Merits particular attention, on account of the allusions made 
to it in the Scriptures, it being the Damon Israel, or Lamb of 
Israel of the Arabs, and is supposed to be the coney of holy 
writ, which was classed among the unclean beasts ; our rabbit, 
or coney, being unknown in Palestine. It is also the mouse 
mentioned in the book of the prophet Isaiah, chap. Ivi. verse 17. 
It is a lively and harmless animal : it lives on vegetation, and 
burrows in the ground like the rabbit. 

The jerboa is remarkable for the singular construction of its 
legs, the fore ones being not more than one inch in length, and 
used not for walking, but for conveying victuals to its mouth. 
The hind-legs are naked, and like those of a bird, with only three 
toes on each foot. Its hair is long and soft, reddish on the back, 
and white on the belly and the breast, with a large black band 
across the thighs, in the form of a crescent. Its tail is longer than 
its body, and terminates in a black tuft, tipt with white. Its head 



156 THE KANGAROO 

very much resembles that of a rabbit ; but in size, this animal is 
somewhat less than a rat. 

This singular quadruped is chiefly found in Barbary, Egypt, 
and Palestine : there are also some species of it in Siberia, Tar- 
tary, and some other parts of Asia. It makes its nest of the 
finest herbage, rolls ilself up with its head between its thighs, 
and during the winter remains in a torpid state without taking 
any food. When pursued, it springs with such agility, that its 
feet scarcely seem to touch the ground. It is easily tamed, ap- 
pears fond of warmth, and, by wrapping itself up close with hay, 
it seems to be sensible of the approach of cold weather. 

THE KANGAROO 

Is an animal unknown to the naturalists of former ages, and 
for the knowledge of which we are indebted to the improvement 
of navigation, and the discoveries of modern times. It is a na- 
tive of Nejv-Holland, where it was first discovered by Sir Joseph 
Banks. Its head, neck, and shoulders are small, the lower parts 
of the body much thicker, especially towards the rump. Its ears 
are large and erect, the end of the nose black, with whiskers on 
both the upper and lower jaws. Its tail is long and taper, being 
very thick near the rump, and narrowing to a point. But the 
most remarkable singularity in this animal is the construction of 
its legs, in which it resembles the jerboa. The fore-legs are ex- 
tremely short, and only used for digging in the ground, or car- 
rying its food to its mouth. It moves entirely on its hind-legs, 
which aie nearly as long as its whole body. On these it springs 
with such strength and rapidity, as to outstrip the fleetest grey- 
hound, making successive bounds of ten or twelve feet. 

It leaps from rock to rock in an astonishing manner, and over 
bushes seven or eight feet high, without apparent effort. 

The Kangaroo is generally of an ash colour : it feeds entirely 
on vegetables, and its flesh is wholesome and palatable food. 
There are two kinds, a larger and a smaller ; the largest that has 
been shot weighed 140 pounds, and measured in length, from the 
point of the nose to the rump, four feet, arid its tail two feet one 
inch : the length of the fore-legs was one foot, and that of the 
hind-legs two feet eight inches. The smaller kind seldom weighs 
above 60 pounds. 

This animal is furnished with a pouch, in which its young are 
fostered ; but its astonishing agility, under such seeming disad- 
vantages, is the most striking circumstance by which it is distin- 
guished, and which demonstrates that the Author of Nature can 
communicate activity and vigour to any conformation of parts. 



THE RAT KIND. 157 

THE KANGAROO RAT 

Is a native of the same country, and may be regarded as an 
epitome of the above-described animal, which it exactly resem- 
bles in its construction, and differs from it only in size, being no 
bigger than a rabbit : it lives on vegetables, and burrows in the 
ground. 

It is worthy of observation, that the Kangaroo is the only quad- 
ruped that is good for food, yet discovered in the country of which 
it is a native ; this circumstance, however, may lead us to ob- 
serve, that such is the diffusive goodness of the Creator, and such 
his providential care in providing for the support of man, that 
every country yet known produces some supply of animal, as 
well as vegetable sustenance. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 
THE RAT KIND. 

..... ........ " The savage rat, 

When tam'd and taught, to gazing crowds is shown." 

WE shall now make a transition from an agreeable and in- 
offensive species of animals, to another of more noxious propen- 
sities, which, notwithstanding their diminutive size, are capable 
of giving us much trouble, and serve to show that the Author of 
Nature can produce inconveniences as well as benefits to man- 
kind, by the slenderest means. Of this truth we may find suffi- 
cient demonstrations in taking a view of the Rat kind. 

THE GREAT RAT 

Is an animal well known in England, although supposed to 
have come originally from Norway. From whatever country it 
came, or by whatever means it was introduced, it has been found 
impossible to expel this formidable invader. Before the arrival 
of this troublesome stranger, England was infested with the 
black rat, which was much less injurious than its rival ; but the 
species is now almost extinct; being nearly extirpated by the 
Norway rat, which is much superior in strength, voraciousness, 
and ferocity. The latter, which is now universally diffused 
throughout the country, is about nine inches long, of a grey co- 
lour, and the throat and belly of a dirty white : its tail is as long 
as its body, and nearly destitute of hair. 

Though small, weak, and contemptible in its appearance, it is 
a more formidable enemy to mankind than those that possess the 

O 



158 THE MARMOT. 

greatest strength. No art can counteract its various powers of 
annoyance, and force is ineffectually opposed to an adversary 
possessing such a variety of means to baffle its efforts. 

The rat is a bold and fierce animal ; its bite is keen, and the 
wound it inflicts painful and difficult to heal. Its rapacity has no 
bounds ; for it preys on every creature it is able to subdue, and 
does incalculable mischief among grain and fruits. It refuses 
scarcely any article of food, and few places are secure from its 
depredations. 

A numerous host of enemies combine for the destruction of 
this noxious quadruped. Several kinds of dogs pursue rats with 
eagerness, and kill them, although none will eat their flesh. The 
cat is also one of their formidable adversaries ; but the weasel is 
their most determined enemy, and hunts them with unceasing 
avidity. The ferret is also employed in the same business : and 
mankind have employed the various means of traps and poison, 
in order to destroy these troifblesome intruders ; but no method 
hitherto discovered has been able to effect their extirpation. The 
sagacity of these animals in avoiding the traps and snares laid 
for them, is astonishing and well known ; and their various means 
of eluding danger, together with their amazing fecundity, pro- 
ducing from twelve to eighteen young at one time, render in- 
effectual the united efforts of such a multitude of enemies as 
combine for their destruction. Their numbers would indeed 
increase beyond all power of restraint, but that an insatiable 
voraciousness impels them to devour one another, and the weaker 
invariably fall a prey to the stronger. 

. M. St. Pierre informs us, that in the Isle of France, rats are 
so extremely numerous, that at sun-set they may be seen running 
about in all directions, and frequently destroy a whole crop of 
corn in a single night. In some of the houses they swarm so 
prodigiously, that thirty thousand have been killed in a year ; 
they have also subterraneous magazines of corn and fruit, and 
even climb the trees to devour the young birds. 

Kaempfer asserts, that the Japanese have a method of taming 
these rats, and of teaching them a variety of entertaining tricks, 
which are occasionally exhibited for the amusement of the 
populace. 

It is a singular circumstance in the history of these animals, 
that the skins of such as have been found devoured in their holes, 
have been curiously turned inside-out, every part, even to the 
ends of the toes, being completely inverted. 

THE MARMOT 

Has been frequently classed by some naturalists with the rat 
kind, while others refer it to that of the hare ; and in size it ap- 



THE LAPLAND MARMOT. 159 

preaches much nearer the latter than the former species ; but if 
we examine the construction of its parts, it will be found in some 
respects to agree with both these quadrupeds. Its head, nose, 
and lips, resemble those of the hare ; while its ears, teeth, and 
claws, are like those of the rat. In many of its habits it is dis- 
tinguished not only from these, but from most other animals. 

The tail of the marmot is short and bushy, the hair on the 
back is brownish, and on the belly reddish : its voice resembles 
the murmuring of a young whelp ; when irritated or affrighted, 
it becomes loud and piercing. It feeds on insects, roots, and 
vegetables , but when tamed, is veiy fond of milk and butter. 
They often feed in flocks, and place one as a sentinel, in order 
to give the alarm in case of danger, which is done by making a 
Kind of whistling noise : and the party immediately betake them- 
selves to their holes, which are formed with great art in the sides 
of the mountains, their ordinary habitations. In these burrows, 
which have two narrow entrances, the provident creatures lay 
up a store of moss and hay for the winter, and in that season 
they shut themselves up so effectually, by stopping up the en- 
trance with earth, that they cannot easily be discovered. The 
interior apartment, where they lodge, is sufficiently spacious to 
contain a whole family of ten or a dozen of these animals. Here 
they roll themselves up with hay, and remain all the winter in a 
torpid state, regardless of the inclemency of the season, and the 
storm that rages without. Such are the wonderful instincts given 
by a wise and gracious Providence to these animals for their 
preservation. 

The marmot is easily tamed, and then becomes very playful. 
It obeys the voice of its master, and easily learns to leap, dance, 
and play many frolicsome gambols. It has a great antipathy to 
do;s, and readily attacks them with great fierceness. It often 
sits upright, and walks with ease on its hind-legs. It feeds itself 
with its fore-paws like a squirrel, and is on the whole a diverting 
little animal. 

The marmot soon arrives at maturity, and consequently its 
life is limited to a short period, being seldom found to exceed 
nine years. It breeds once a year, and generally produces three 
or four at a litter. The highest regions of the Alps are the usual 
abode of this animal : it is also found, with variations, in Poland 
and Tartary. 

THE LEMING, OR LAPLAND MARMOT. 

This animal presents one of these singular phenomena, which 
to the curious observer of Nature, have always appeared particu- 
larly striking, and is distinguished from all other quadrupeds by 
habits peculiar to itself, and for which it puzzles philosophy to 



160 THE LAPLAND MARMOT. 

account. It is found only in the northern parts of Europe, 
where immense numbers of these little animals sometimes over- 
spread large tracts of country, especially in Lapland, Sweden, 
and Norway. Their appearance happens at uncertain periods, 
but fortunately for the inhabitants of these countries, not oftener 
than once or twice in twenty years. As the source from whence 
they originate in such astonishing numbers, is yet unexplored by 
the naturalist, it is no wonder that the ignorant Laplander should 
seriously believe they are rained from the clouds. 

This creature is somewhat less than a rat, and runs very 
swiftly, although its legs are short and slender. Its head is of a 
pointed form ; and in each jaw it has two cutting teeth, with 
which it bites very keenly : its eyes are small, and its ears short : 
its fore-legs are shorter than the hind ones. The colour of its 
body and head is tawny, and variegated with large black spots, 
irregularly arranged ; and the belly is white, tinged with yellow. 

The leming must be prolific beyond conception ; but the most 
astonishing circumstance of the natural history of these animals, 
is their destructive migrations. Myriads pour down from the 
mountains, and form an overwhelming troop, which nothing can 
resist. The disposition of their march is generally in lines, about 
three feet asunder, and exactly parallel. In this order they ad- 
vance with as much regularity as a well-disciplined army ; and 
it is remarked, that their course is always from the north-west, 
or south-east. They frequently cover the extent of a square 
mile, travelling in the night. They always halt in the day, and 
in the evening resume their march. No opposition can stop 
them, and whatever way their course is directed, neither fire nor 
water can turn them out of their road. If a lake or river happen 
to intercept their progress, they instantly take the water, and 
swim across, or perish in the attempt. It seems, indeed, as if 
they were impelled by some secret impulse, which prevents them 
from ever deviating from their direct route ; for if a fire inter- 
rupt their course, they instantly plunge into the flames ; if a 
well, they dart down into it ; if a hay-rick be in their road, they 
eat through it ; if a house, they climb over it, and never turn an 
inch out of their way. If thousands perish, thousands still sup- 
ply their place, until the whole column be destroyed. Happily 
for mankind, they eat nothing that is prepared for human subsist- 
ence ; and if they force their passage through a house, they will 
not touch any thing except such roots or vegetables as they may 
happen to find in it. If a man, or any animal, should chance to 
fall in their way, the little animals are no way discouraged by 
any disproportion of strength ; but fly furiously at their oppo- 
nent, with a barking noise, like that of a young whelp, and 
nothing can induce them to relinquish the attack. 



THE MOUSE. 161 

Wherever they pass, they destroy every trace of vegetation, 
and when subsistence fails, they are said to divide into two dif- 
ferent armies, which engage with the most deadly hostility, and 
continue fighting and devouring each other, till they are all en- 
tirely destroyed : such myriads of them have been found lying 
dead, that the air has been infected, and sometimes caused ma- 
lignant distempers: numbers of them are also destroyed by 
foxes, weasels, &c. which follow them in their march, so that 
from what place soever they come, none ever return from their 
migrations. Contemplating the singular history of this animal, 
we would ask, whether the God of Nature be not wonderful in 
his works ? 

THE MOUSE 

Is an animal which is diffused throughout almost every part of 
the world : it seems to be a constant attendant on man, and is 
seldom found but near his dwelling. When viewed without that 
prejudice which most people entertain against this creature, it is 
a pretty little animal. In its general formation, as well as its 
colour, it resembles a rat, but without that aspect of ferocity by 
which the latter is distinguished. Its skin is sleek and soft, its 
eyes lively, all its limbs are formed with delicacy, and its motions 
are quick and active. In this animal, as well as in the rat, the 
long naked tail has the most disgusting appearance. 

The mouse produces young several times in the year, and has 
generally ten or a dozen at a litter ; and in fifteen days, the young 
ones are able to provide for themselves. Aristotle says, that 
having shut up a mouse big with young, in a vessel, and provided 
plenty of grain for their support, he found shortly after a hun- 
dred and twenty mice, all produced from this maternal stock. 
Indeed, as the enemies of this animal are numerous and formi- 
dable, nothing but this amazing fecundity can save it from utter 
extinction. 

In contemplating the prolific nature of these diminutive ani- 
mals, the mouse and the rat, some reflections on the wonderful 
plan of creative wisdom, readily occur to our mind. These 
we have already suggested in the general view of the animal 
world, and future observations will often recall them to consider 
ation. We have already observed, that mankind use every art, 
and contrive every possible method for the extirpation of the rat 
and the mouse, and that not only the cat but every animal of the 
weasel kind, as well as a multitude of others, are their implaca- 
ble enemies, persecute them with unceasing hostility, and com- 
bine with man for their destruction. Infinite wisdom, however, 
has, in bestowing on these creatures an extraordinary fecundity, 
counteracted all the efforts used for their extermination. Their 

O 2 



162 THE MOLE. 

depredations in our houses, our barns, and our granaries, induce 
us to esteem them noxious and troublesome animals ; but are we 
sure that they answer no beneficial purpose ? Are we certain 
that they do not prevent the propagation of some other creature 
more noxious than themselves ? This, although yet undiscovered, 
is not impossible. Our shortsightedness does not permit us to 
penetrate the all-wise designs of the Creator. On reviewing his 
work, he " saw that it was good." (Gen. chap, i.) And, as he 
created every species of animal life for some wise purpose, he 
has with equal wisdom taken measures to prevent their extinction. 
There are several varieties of the mouse, which for brevity's 
sake we shall omit, and proceed to something more interesting. 
They all have a pretty near resemblance : the principal differ- 
ence is in the shrew-mouse, which, with a body of the same 
shape and colour, and nearly of the same size, as that of the rest 
of the kind, has the head and nose shaped like those of the 
swine, and is in some places called the pig-mouse. 

THE MOLE 

Is an animal which merits, in no small degree, the attention of 
the naturalist ; for being destined to a subterraneous life, its con- 
formation is admirably adapted to its peculiar mode of providing 
subsistence. It possesses, in an eminent degree, the senses of 
hearing and smelling; of which the former gives it notice of the 
approach of danger, and the latter enables it to find its prey in 
the obscurity of its dwellings under the surface of the ground. 
It is not destitute of sight, as has formerly been supposed : its 
eyes indeed are extremely small; but it is more than probable, 
that they are so formed, as to admit distinct images of the dimin- 
utive objects of its pursuit. The wisdom of the Creator is evi- 
dently and invariably displayed in the adaptation of each creature 
to its particular mode of living, of which we have in this curious 
little quadruped, a remarkable instance. While the mole enjoys 
that perfection of hearing and smelling, so necessary to its pecu- 
liar mode of living, its optics appear perfectly adapted to its con- 
tracted sphere of vision. The piercing eye of the eagle, would, 
to this animal, be not only useless, but manifestly inconvenient. 

The whole form of its body, but particularly the construction 
of its fore-feet, are admirably adapted to the purpose of making 
its way in the earth with facility. They are destitute of hair, and 
have a broad palm, almost resembling a hand ; but they are fixed 
so close to the body, that the animal can scarcely be said to have 
any legs. It remains almost constantly under ground, and if it 
happen to be surprised on the surface, it burrows in an instant. 

The skin of the mole is remarkable for its beauty, and if con- 
verted to a proper use, would probably be not less estimable for 



THE OPOSSOM. 163 

its value. We are indeed informed, that an ingenious gentleman 
of Newcastle, has discovered a method whereby the exquisitely 
fine fur of this hitherto despised animal, may possibly become of 
great importance to the public. Being incorporated with other 
materials, it forms a stamen of peculiar strength and beauty for 
the purpose of making hats, superior to any hitherto used in that 
valuable branch of manufacture. Mr. Bewick adds, that the 
gentleman has obtained a patent for this useful discovery. 

The colour of the mole is generally black, but some have been 
found with white spots, and others perfectly white. Its fur is 
very short, close set, softer than the finest velvet, or perhaps than 
the fur of any other animal ; and, although it lives in the earth, 
it is always exceedingly clean and glossy. It is somewhat singu- 
lar, that while the ermine and sable are sought in the recesses 
of their immense solitudes, in the rigorous climates and desolate 
regions of the earth, no use has been made of a fur, which in 
beauty is scarcely inferior to any that Siberia can furnish. 

This animal is exceedingly prolific : it breeds under ground, 
where it form a commodious nest of moss or fine herbage. It 
makes its subterraneous tracks in various directions, and throws 
up here and there large heaps of mould, which are very pre- 
judicial, and consequently render its destruction an object of 
attention to the farmer. 

The desolation which these animals create in gardens and 
cultivated grounds, is indeed much greater than the generality 
of people would suppose possible. M. de Buffon informs us? 
that in the year 1740, he planted about sixteen acres of land 
with acorns, of which the quarter part was carried off by the 
moles ; and in many of their subterraneous retreats, were found 
half a bushel, and in some a bushel. After discovering this cir- 
cumstance, our author caused a number of iron traps to be con- 
structed, by which he caught about thirteen hundred moles in 
less than three weeks. 

Nature, which in every part of the animal creation, displays 
her diversifying energy, has formed several varieties of this ani- 
mal. One species, found in Siberia, is of a beautiful green and 
gold colour, which varies with the light. The yellow mole of 
North America is larger than that of Europe, and, like the latter, 
is covered with a fur exquisitely fine, soft, and glossy ; and an- 
other kind is found in Virginia, of a black colour, variegated 
with purple. 

THE OPOSSUM 

Is an animal of which Nature has formed several varieties ; 
but all of them distinguished from every other quadruped, except 
the kangaroo, by having a pouch under the belly, in which the 



164 THE FLYING OPOSSUM. 

female deposits her young immediately after they are brought 
forth, and nourishes them until they be able to provide for them- 
selves. 

This animal is nearly as large as a cat; but its general figure 
resembles that of a fox. Rs legs are short, and its feet, or rather 
hands, are not unlike those of a monkey. The construction of 
legs and hands indicates its incapability of speed ; but this dis- 
advantage is counterbalanced by the facility and expedition with 
which it climbs trees, where it conceals itself in the branches, 
and surprises the birds that come within its reach. 

The opossum is remarkable for possessing the faculty of sus- 
pending itself by the tail, and continuing for hours in that situa- 
tion, from which it darts on its prey with surprising agility and 
unerring aim. By means of its tail, it can also fling itself from 
one tree to another. It is easily domesticated, but is not a very 
agreeable inmate, on account of a rank and disgusting odour 
that exhales from its skin. Its flesh is eaten by the Indians, and 
in taste, is said to resemble that of a young pig. * The Indians 
also dye its hair, and weave it into garters, and various other ar- 
ticles. This animal was, by M. dc Buffon, supposed to belong 
peculiarly to America ; but it is now found to exist in several 
of the oriental and South Sea islands. 

THE FLYING OPOSSUM 

Cannot be overlooked, among the uncommon varieties of this 
singular animal. Its ears are large and erect, and it is furnished 
with a membranous appendage connecting the legs, similar to 
that of the flying squirrel, and of which it makes use in the same 
manner to fly from tree to tree. Can we refrain to admire the 
power and wisdom of the Creator, which we see so conspicu- 
ously displayed in the various forms of animated nature ? 

This animal is also remarkable for the exquisite fineness of its 
fur, which is more delicate, and of a finer texture, than that of 
most other animals. It is of a beautiful dark colour, mixed with 
grey, and is extremely smooth and glossy : on the throat and 
belly it is white, and each hip is adorned with a tawny-coloured 
spot. 



( 165 ) 

CHAPTER XXVIII. 
T1S2S MOlOHalT KIND. 



" There roam the ape, the monkey, and baboon, 
Fearless and fierce amid their native woods." 

IT is now, when we are drawing towards the conclusion of 
our survey of the first great division of animated nature, that 
we are to prepare for the contemplation of objects still more cu- 
rious and striking than those we have yet met with. 

The objects of curiosity which we are now going to bring 
forward to view, are some of the most remarkable and inter- 
esting. 

ANIMALS OF THE MONKEY KIND. 

These are a race which consists of a greater variety of kinds, 
and makes nearer approaches to the human species, both in form 
and action, than any other class of animal beings. 

Monkeys of different kinds have been brought into Europe, 
and exhibited for the amusement of those who delight in con- 
templating the wonders of the creation ; but they are natives 
only of the warmest parts of the globe, and abound chiefly in the 
torrid zone, where they entertain with their frolics, and annoy 
with their mischievous pranks, the inhabitants of the tropical 
regions. 

In those countries, indeed, they are sometimes amusing, but 
oftener troublesome neighbours, for their restless activity can 
be equalled only by their mischievous ingenuity. 

In the woods of Africa, from Senegal to Ethiopia, on the east, 
and the Cape of Good Hope on the south, monkeys are exceed- 
ingly numerous. They also abound in all parts of India, and the 
oriental islands, as also in Japan, and the southern provinces of 
China ; and they are likewise found in great numbers in every 
part of South America, from the isthmus of Darien to the river 
La Plata. 

The numbers, and various species of these animals, have in- 
duced naturalists to distinguish them by three grand divisions, 
viz : Apes, or such as have no tails ; Baboons, which have short 
tails ; and Monkeys, which have long tails. 

In the ape kind, we see the whole external structure impressed 
with a striking resemblance of the human figure, and endowed 
with the capability of similar exertions. They walk erect, and 
the conformation of their hands and feet exactly resembles that 
of ours. The baboon exhibits a less striking likeness of the hu- 



166 THE OURANG OUTANG. 

man form. He generally walks upon all-fours, and seldom erect, 
except through the influence of instruction and constraint. These 
animals have short tails, long faces, and eyes deeply sunk in their 
sockets : they are extremely ugly, and their disposition is char- 
acterized by the most brutal fierceness. Some baboons are in 
stature as tall as a man, and far superior in strength. 

The monkey kind is much less than the former, and appears 
still further removed from the human species. They are an active, 
lively, and mischievous race of animals, full of grimace and frolic- 
srme gambols, fond of imitating human actions, prying and in- 
quisitive, restless and troublesome, and exceedingly addicted to 
thieving. They sit upon their posteriors, but never walk erect. 

THE OURANG OUTANG, OR WILD MAN OF 
THE WOODS, 

Is found in the interior parts of Africa, in Madagascar, and 
in some parts of the East Indies ; but the isle of Borneo is the 
place where it chiefly abounds. It avoids mankind, and resides 
only in the most solitary deserts. As this animal is the largest 
of all the ape kind, it also bears the nearest resemblance to the 
human form. Some of this species are said to exceed six feet 
in height. They are active, strong, and intrepid. They live 
wholly on fruits, nuts, and other spontaneous productions of the 
warm countries which they inhabit. 

Several of these animals have been brought to Europe ; but 
having been taken very young, it is probable that the coolness 
of the climate both softens their fierceness, and obstructs their 
growth ; and none have been seen in those parts of the world, 
which exceeded five feet in height. Dr. Tyson, a learned phy- 
sician and naturalist, gives an accurate description of one of the 
species, which was brought from Angola into this country ; and 
in order to give an idea of this extraordinary animal, we shall 
delineate it in the words of that gentleman : 

" The body was entirely covered with hair, the colour of which 
was perfectly black, and the texture of it bore a greater resem- 
blance to the human, than to that of the brute : that which grew 
upon the head and the chin, was considerably longer than the 
rest. The face was like that of a man, the forehead longer, and 
the head round : the upper and lower jaws were not so prominent 
as in monkeys, but flat like that of the human race : the ears and 
teeth had likewise a greater similitude to the man than the brute: 
the bending of the arms and legs was the same : and in the 
whole figure of the animal, an affinity might be traced. The 
face, hands, and soles of the feet, were without hair ; and in the 
palms of the hands, it had similar lines to those of the human 
race. The internal conformation was equally similar, except 



THE OURANG OUTANG. 167 

that it had thirteen, instead of twelve ribs. In its passage to 
England, it had made many friends on board, towards whom it 
would show evident marks of tenderness, and used frequently to 
embrace them with the greatest affection. Monkeys of a lower 
species, it seemed to hold in absolute aversion, and would avoid 
that part of the vessel where they were confined. As soon as it 
was accustomed to the use of clothes, it became very fond of 
them, and would dress itself in part without any assistance, and 
carry the remainder to some of its friends, and make signs for 
them to complete the ornament. It would lie in a bed, place its 
head upon the pillow, and then pull up the bed-clothes to its 
neck, in the same manner as human beings are accustomed 
to do." 

M. de Buffon says, that he saw one of these singular animals 
sit at table ; wipe its mouth with a napkin after drinking ; pour 
the wine into its glass ; use a fork and spoon to carry the victuals 
to its mouth ; put sugar into its cup ; pour out the tea, and leave 
it to cool ; and, in short, so exactly imitate human actions, that 
it was astonishing to see how completely instinctive sagacity was, 
in this creature, substituted for reason. 

From these anecdotes, it appears that the ourang outang, at 
least the less and milder kind, may, when taken young, be easily 
tamed, and rendered extremely docile and tractable ; but a very 
different picture is exhibited by travellers, of those which are 
found in the immense solitudes of Africa, as well as in some 
parts of the East, and especially in Borneo. They are not only 
exceedingly swift, but so strong, that one of them could over- 
come several men. It is therefore impossible to take them alive, 
especially as they generally go in companies, armed with thick 
clubs, with which they will not hesitate to attack the strongest 
and fiercest animals, not excepting even the elephant. And it is 
worthy of remark, that this is the only animal that makes use of 
any other weapons than such as are natural. In the island of 
Borneo, where the ourang outang chiefly abounds, it is hunted 
by the inhabitants in the same manner as the lion and the ele- 
phant ; and even the king and his courtiers follow the chase of 
this animal, with great eagerness ; for, although its resemblance 
to the human form might be supposed to procure it pity and pro- 
tection, we shall scarcely wonder that it should not meet with 
either, when we consider the fierceness of its disposition, and its 
formidable hostility to man. 

This singular animal has been described by several naturalists 
and travellers, particularly by Battel, Bosnian, Schouten, M. La 
Brosse, M. Grose, and Pyrard. Their descriptions are all inter- 
esting, but too long for insertion, especially as our design is 
i ather to give that general knowledge of Nature, which everv 



168 THE LONG-ARMED APE THE BABOON. 

gentleman ought to possess, than to direct the attention to those 
minutia? which are more particularly suited to the investigations 
of such as make these studies their peculiar profession. We 
shall only observe, that all these accounts of the ourang outang, 
although they somewhat differ in certain minute particulars, agree 
upon the whole ; and the differences discoverable in the relation 
of travellers, are only such as may reasonably be supposed to 
exist between different individuals of the same species, in the 
endless diversity of Nature's ever-varying form. 

"We have been somewhat particular in exhibiting the external 
structure and characteristic disposition of this extraordinary 
creature, since it must be considered as one of the wonders of 
Nature, which shows how nearly the animal may approach to the 
human form, and how much instinct may, in some respects, imi- 
tate intellect. In the latter comparison, however, we cannot but 
perceive an immense disproportion. The ourang outang soon 
attains to the perfection of its imitative operations, and arrives 
at a boundary which it cannot pass. Instinctive sagacity it ap- 
pears to possess in an eminent degree, but exhibits no marks of 
intellectual operation, no traces of reason ; between matter and 
mind, there will always be an immense interval. The near ap- 
proach of this animal to the human form, without possessing any 
of the faculties of the human mind, will undoubtedly excite our 
gratitude to the beneficent Creator, for the high prerogatives 
accorded to us in the inestimable gift of intellect. 

THE LONG-ARMED APE 

Is the animal which, next to the ourang outang, bears the 
nearest resemblance to the human form. It has no tail, and 
walks erect: its ordinary stature is from three to four feet: its 
visage is flat, of a tawny colour, and encircled with grey hair: 
its eyes are large and sunk ; and, on the whole, it has a remark- 
able singularity of aspect. But the most striking distinction of 
this animal, is the extraordinary length of its arms, which reach 
to the ground when it stands in an upright posture. It feeds on 
the fruits, leaves, and bark of trees ; is of a mild and tractable 
disposition; and, like all the ape and monkey race, is fond of 
imitation. It is a native of India, and several of the oriental 
islands. 

THE BABOON 

Differs from most animals of the ape kind, not only in exter- 
nal formation, but in its disposition, which is fierce and untract- 
able. There are several varieties of this animal, which altogether 
constitute a fierce and formidable race. The baboon is exceed- 
ingly strong ; its body and limbs are thick ; its tail is about eight 



THE GREAT RIBBED-NOSE BABOON. 169 

inches long ; its height, when standing upright, from four to five 
feet. Its head is large ; and its shoulders, which are of an 
amazing thickness, indicate its prodigious strength : its eyes are 
small, and deeply sunk ; its teeth are large and formidable ; and 
in each cheek it has a pouch, into which, when satiated with 
eating, it puts the remainder of its food. Its body is covered 
with hair of a light reddish brown ; that on the head is long : 
the buttocks are generally of a red colour, and naked. 

This animal is of so ferocious a disposition, that neither art 
nor caresses can render it docile or tractable : it is not, however, 
carnivorous, but feeds entirely on roots, fruits, and other vegeta- 
bles. It inhabits the hottest parts of Africa ; and numerous 
troops sometimes enter the cultivated parts, and plunder the 
gardens and fields. 

One of these animals, seen by Mr. Pennant, at Chester, was 
of surprising strength, and extremely fierce ; it went on all-fours, 
and never stood erect unless compelled by its keeper, but would 
frequently sit on its rump in a crouching attitude, with its arms 
crossed before the belly. It was particularly fond of cheese and 
wheat ; and whenever any ears of the latter were given to it, it 
dexterously picked out the grains with its teeth, and ate them. 
Its voice was a kind of roar, somewhat like that of a lion, except 
that it was low, and rather inward. This species is remarkably 
fond of eggs ; and one of them has been known to put eight into 
his pouches at once ; then, taking them out singly, he broke 
them at the end, and swallowed their contents in the most delib- 
erate manner. 

THE GREAT RIBBED-NOSE BABOON, 

Like that which has just been described, is a native of Africa, 
and inhabits only the hottest parts of that continent. This ani- 
mal is not less remarkable for its strength and size, than for the 
variegated beauty of its colours. Its nose is marked on each 
side with broad ribs, of a fine violet colour ; a line of vermilion 
runs from above the eyes, on each side of the nose, and meets 
on the tip. The inside of the ears is blue, and the outside ver- 
milion ; the rump is also of a vermilion colour ; and the beautiful 
shades on the hips are gradations from red to blue. The back 
and legs are dark brown, mixed with yellow : the breast and belly 
are white, and spangled with small dark spots ; its beard is dark 
at the roots, orange at the middle, and yellow at the end : the 
hair on the forehead is long, and turns back in the form of a 
crest : its tail is short and hairy, and its hands and feet black 
and naked. 

Of this kind of animals, naturalists enumerate a great many 
varieties among which are the small ribbed-nose baboon, and the 

P 



170 THE PIG-T AILED BABOON, &c. 

ursine baboon, which abound near the Cape of Good Hope, 
where troops of them assemble together, and make predatory 
expeditions, in order to plunder the plantations and orchards. 
In these inroads, they observe the greatest precaution, and place 
a sentinel in order to prevent surprise. The sentinel thus placed, 
gives a loud yell on the approach of a man, and the whole troop 
retreat with the utmost precipitation. On these occasions, it is 
highly entertaining to see the females running away with their 
young ones clinging to their backs, whilst their pouches are 
crammed full of bread. Sometimes they form a line, and with 
admirable dexterity throw the fruit from one to another, in order 
to carry it off with greater expedition. 

THE PIG-TAILED BABOON 

Is chiefly remarkable for being gentle and tractable, lively and 
frolicsome, without that impudent petulance, or that savage fe 
rocity, so common to most of the baboon ravje. 

THE DOG BABOON 

Is distinguished by a longer tail than the rest of this numerous 
tribe, and seems to form the connecting link between the baboon 
and the monkey kind. It inhabits the hottest regions of Africa 
and Asia. It is above five feet high, and exceedingly strong, 
vicious, and impudent. These animals herd together in troops, 
and commit great depredations. Such, indeed, are the general 
propensities of all the ape, baboon, and monkey kinds, all of 
which are active, cunning, and mischievous creatures, and trou- 
blesome neighbours. 

From the baboon race, we shall proceed to take a slight view 
of the monkey species a class of animals weaker and less for- 
midable than the former, but equally dexterous, crafty, and mis- 
chievous. 

The varieties of the monkey tribe are so numerous, that it is 
difficult to describe the different species, or even to enumerate 
their characteristic distinctions. Every country of the torrid 
zone swarms with these restless, petulant, and troublesome ani- 
mals ; and every forest is enlivened by their restless activity and 
frolicsome gambols. The inhabitants of the tropical regions re- 
gard monkeys as one of their greatest pests, as they often do in- 
credible damage among their fields of Indian corn and rice, and 
indeed are not less destructive to fruit. Their method of plun- 
dering resembles that of the baboons, and is conducted with 
equal dexterity, sagacity, and caution. They are also very 
troublesome to travellers, by pelting them with stones, dirt, and 
branches of trees. 

Monkeys have an extraordinary attachment to their young. 



THE MACAQUE MONKEY, &c. 171 

This, indeed, is the most laudable trait of their disposition. Both 
the male arid female alternately fondle the little cub in their arms, 
and endeavour to instruct it in all their own sagacious arts and 
frolicsome pranks. If the bantling appear disinclined to profit 
by their example, or refuse to imitate their actions, the parents 
overcome its obstinacy by well-applied chastisement. 

The general food of this tribe of animals is fruit, buds of 
trees, or succulent roots and plants. Their method of managing 
an oyster is curious, and very entertaining to those who have an 
opportunity of witnessing their dexterity. The moment that the 
monkey sees the shells of the oyster a little opened, the crafty 
creature slips a stone between them, to prevent them from closing 
again, and then with its hand takes out the fish. 

Of monkeys, naturalists have discovered above fifty different 
species : we shall therefore mention only a few of the most re- 
markable. 

THE MACAQUE, OR HAIR-LIPPED MONKEY. 

This animal is a native of Guinea, Congo, and the more south- 
ern parts of Africa. In size and strength, it nearly resembles 
the baboon : its nostrils are divided, like those of the hare : its 
visage is naked, ugly, and wrinkled ; and its aspect, ferocious 
and disgusting. This kind is subdivided into several varieties, 
different both in size and colour. They are all, however, equally 
destructive in cultivated grounds, for being extremely nice ; i 
their choice, they do more damage by pulling up what does not 
please them, than by the quantity which they devour. 

THE PATAS, OR RED MONKEY, 

Is nearly of the same size with the macaque, and a native of 
the same country, but is much less frightful in its appearance, 
its aspect being more agreeable, and its hair of a bright red. 
These plunder plantations and corn-fields, like the former, and 
use the same precautions of placing sentinels, which most of the 
ape, baboon, and monkey tribes, adopt. 

THE CATITRIX, OR GREEN MONKEY, 

Is a beautiful animal. On the back and tail, it is of a fine 
green colour; and the throat and belly are of an elegant silver 
white. It is common in the Cape de Verd islands, in the north 
of Africa, and in many parts of the East Indies. 

When Mr. Addison was in Africa, he killed twenty-three of 
this species, not one of which uttered the slightest cry, though 
they had previously assumed a threatening aspect, and ground 
their teeth at him as if in defiance. 



172 THE TALAPOIN MONKEY, &c. 

THE TALAPOIN 

Is about twelve inches long : its head is round : its ears are 
black, and shaped like those of the human species : the hair on 
the upper part of its body is yellow, tinged with green ; but 
lighter on the throat and belly : its tail is olive-coloured, long 
and slender. 

THE MONA, OR VARIED MONKEY, 

Is a native of Arabia, Persia, and the northern parts of Africa, 
and is the best known in Europe of all the monkey tribe. Its 
back and sides are of a deep brown colour, with black freckles : 
the legs, feet, and tail, are black : the inside of the thighs, of a 
pale blue ; and on each side of the tail there is usually a large 
white spot : the top of the head is yellow, freckled with black ; 
its nose is short ; its face of a dark lead colour, with the beard 
on each side long, and of a greenish yellow. When tamed, it 
will feed on all kinds of victuals, but is particularly fond of fruit. 

The monkeys of America have several characteristics, which 
distinguish them from those of the old continent. Those of the 
latter are universally observed to have the posteriors naked and 
callous, their nostrils formed like those of the human species, 
and pouches on each side of the mouth for the purpose of pre- 
serving food. The monkeys of the new continent are different 
in all these particulars. 

Of all the different species of this kind of animals which either 
continent produces, 

THE MICO, OR FAIR MONKEY, 

Is the most beautiful : its body is covered with hair of a silver 
white : its head is small and round : its face and ears are of so 
lively a vermilion, that it might be supposed the effect of art ; 
but Nature, in the variety of her colourings, every where shows, 
that her paintings can receive no addition from the efforts of the 
pencil. The tail of this animal is long, and of a shining deep 
chesnut colour, and the whole assemblage of its colours and 
formation gives it an air of uncommon elegance. 

The mico is a native of the countries of South America, bor- 
dering on the great river of Amazons ; but we do not hear that 
it has ever been brought alive into Europe. M. de Condamine 
obtained one of these beautiful animals on the banks of that 
river ; but did not succeed in bringing it alive into France, as he 
intended. 

Having now exhibited a few of the most remarkable and best 
known varieties of this numerous, frolicsome, mischievous, and 
singular race, it will be observed, that we have only very slightly 



THE AMPHIBIOUS KIND. 173 

touched on this subject of Nature's diversity. Naturalists have 
enumerated, and travellers have observed, an almost endless va- 
riety of this little bustling class of animals ; and there is scarcely 
any reason to doubt that the immense woods of the tropical re- 
gions, contain a number of species which have escaped the eye 
of every European observer. Although man has for so many ages 
been occupied in examining the operations of Nature, in the 
world of matter and of life, a great part of the immense abyss 
vet remains unexplored ; and perhaps all his genius and industry 
will never be able to investigate that boundless diversity which 
the Omnipotent Creator has stamped on his works. If, however, 
we cannot comprehend the depths of his counsels, nor trace all 
the varieties of his productions, we can so far penetrate the great 
design of his plan, as to perceive that our happiness is its object: 
and explore the wonders of the creation sufficiently to discover 
that wisdom, power, and goodness, are every where conspicuously 
displayed. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 
THIS 

" Domesticated otters, too, 
Employ their skill for man. 

THERE now remains only one more ramification of the quad- 
ruped race, which we purpose to exhibit to view. This is 
essentially distinguished from the rest of that class, by the faculty 
of living equally in the water and on the land, for which reason 
animals of this kind are usually denominated amphibious, as be- 
ing inhabitants of two different elements. In these, the attributes 
of the Deity are not less conspicuously displayed, than in all the 
other classes of animated nature. 

All quadrupeds of this nature, have this characteristic distinc- 
tion, that although they are covered with hair, like the generality 
of their kind, they are furnished with membranes between their 
toes, which enable them to swim with facility. Some more nearly 
resemble the constant inhabitants of the deep, by having their 
hind-feet joined to the body like fins. 

THE OTTER 

May be said to constitute the first step of this gradation, be- 
tween terrestrial and aquatic animals ; the former of which it re- 
sembles in exterior appearance and internal conformation, and 

P 2 



174 THE OTTER. 

the latter in its ability to swim, as well as in its habits, and mode 
of subsistence. The usual length of the otter is about two feet 
from the tip of the nose to the insertion of the tail : the head and 
nose are broad and flat : the mouth is formed like that of a fish : 
the neck is thick and short, the eyes are small : the tail is long, 
broad near the body, and gradually tapering to the point : the 
legs are short, but the joints are extremely pliant. The fur of 
this animal is of a deep brown, with two small spots on each 
side of the nose, and another under the chin. 

The otter destroys great quantities of fish, of which it is re- 
markably fond, and which, indeed, constitutes its principal food. 
In pursuing its prey, it commonly swims against the current. 

Otters are often taken in traps ; and the hunting of them is 
with some a favourite diversion ; the old otter will, in this case, 
defend itself against the dogs to the last extremity. They bite 
keenly, and it is not easy to make them quit their hold. An old 
otter will never leave its hold but with the loss of life, nor ever 
make any complaint for the severest wounds. 

When J;aken young, these animals may be easily tamed, and 
many instances of the fact have been witnessed. Being accus- 
tomed in youth to obedience and restraint, they become perfectly 
domesticated, follow their masters, and employ for his service 
their talents in fishing. 

A person who lived near Inverness, procured a young otter, 
which he brought up tame: it would follow him any where, and 
when called by its name was always obedient. When apprehen- 
sive of danger from dogs, it always sought his protection, and 
would fly into his arms for safety. It was frequently employed 
in fishing, and sometimes caught seven or eight salmon in a day. 
When tired, it always refused to fish any longer, and then was 
rewarded with as much fish as it could eat. When its hunger 
was satisfied, it always curled itself up quite round, and fell 
asleep, in which state it was generally carried home. This ani- 
mal fished in the sea as well as in a river, and often took great 
numbers of codlings, and other fish. Its food was generally 
fresh fish ; it was also very fond of milk. It is indeed remarkable, 
that notwithstanding the otter's avidity for fish, it will not eat it 
unless it be quite fresh. When it cannot be had in that state, 
these animals, if kept tame, must be fed with milk, pudding, &c. 

We are told, by Mr. Bewick, of another person who kept a 
tame otter, which used to follow him with his dogs. It was very 
useful to him in fishing, by going into the water, and driving trout, 
and other fish, towards the net. It is worthy of remark, that the 
dogs, although accustomed to the sport of otter-hunting, were so 
far from offering it the least molestation, that they would not 
even hurt an otter when it was in their company ; a striking 



THE SEA-OTTER. 175 

instance of the power of habit, in the modification of animal 
instinct. 

Otters are, with some variations, found in most countries. In 
the marshes of Guiana, they are very numerous ; they herd to- 
gether near the banks of the rivers, and are so fierce, that it is 
not safe to approach them. Those of Cayenne are very large, 
weighing from ninety to a hundred pounds : they are of a dark 
brown colour, and their fur is fine, soft, and short. This animal 
is also found in North America, where it is called the minx, and 
is generally of a less size than in those countries, being only about 
twenty inches in length ; but its fur is glossy and beautiful, and 
<*f a dark brown colour. 

The small otter of Poland, and the north of Europe, is much 
^ss than the common kind. Its colour is a dusky brown ; its fur, 
however, is very valuable; being, in beauty, esteemed next to that 
of the sable. Indeed, the fur of all this little tribe of animals, is 
more or less valuable, so that, although Nature has assigned tHeir 
abode in the solitary recesses of deep rivers, and extensive mo- 
-asses, they are still subservient to the use of man. In none of 
4ie species, however, is this utility so conspicuous as in that of 

THE SEA-OTTER. 

This is an animal of extraordinary importance in the com- 
mercial system of two of the greatest and most powerful empires 
on the face of the globe ; for their skins are sold by the Russians 
to the Chinese, at the rate of eighty, and even sometimes a hun- 
dred rubles a-piece. In return for this particular article of ex- 
port, the Russians receive some of the most valuable commodi- 
ties of China, and thus the skins of these animals, together with 
a variety of others, which furnish to the fur trade an inexhausti- 
ble supply, constitute, as already observed, a lucrative branch of 
commerce. 

The fur of the sea-otter is long and thick-set, generally of a 
beautiful glossy black, but in some of a fine shining silver colour. 
Its legs are thick and short, and the toes joined by a web. Its 
length from nose to tail, is about four feet or something more. 
The largest of these animals weigh eighty pounds. 

The sea-otter is perfectly inoffensive, and affectionately fond 
of its young. For the loss of them, it will pine to death on the 
spot from whence they are taken away. Before its offspring can 
swim, it carries them in its paws, and, lying on its back, supports 
them in the water. When in this element, the sea-otter is ex- 
ceedingly sportive, and as full of gambols as a monkey is on the 
land ; for it swims in every position, on its back, sides, and even 
in an erect posture. It breeds once a year, and produces but 
one young at a time, which it suckles and carefully attends until 



176 THE BEAVER. 

it be fit to provide for itself. The flesh of the young otter is 
reckoned very delicate, and scarcely distinguishable from lamb. 
Kamtschatka, and the opposite coasts of America, with the 
numerous islands which lie between the two continents, are the 
countries where the sea-otter principally abounds, and which, 
with the rest of the furry tribes, render these barren and remote 
regions in the eastern extremity of Asia, of great importance to 
the Russian empire. 

THE BEAVER 

Is an animal in which the power of instinct appears in an 
eminent degree, and indeed exhibits itself in a form of which 
few traces can be found in the brute creation. Of all quadru- 
peds, it is the most industrious ; and its labours seem to be the 
result of a social compact formed for mutual preservation, sup- 
port, and convenience. If we contemplate this animal in its 
solitary state, we shall not find it distinguished by any superiority 
of instinctive sagacity above the rest of the quadruped race. It 
is by viewing it in its social condition, that we shall find its pre- 
eminence. 

In the month of June, or at the latest in July, the beavers 
begin to assemble, in order to form a society, which continues 
the greatest part of the year. A company of two or three hun- 
dred is immediately collected. These arrive from different parts, 
and seem to be directed by an irresistible impulse, to one par- 
ticular place, where they fix their abode. This is always by the 
side of some river or lake. If it be a running stream, of which 
the waters are liable to rise and fall, their first undertaking is to 
construct a pier, or dam, quite across, so as to form a dead wa- 
ter above and below. In some situations, the length of this dam 
is not less than a hundred feet, and frequently ten or twelve feet 
thick at the base. If we compare the magnitude of the work 
with the powers of the architect, it will appear enormous, but 
the solidity with which it is constructed is still more astonishing. 
That part of the river where the water is the shallowest, is com- 
monly chosen, especially if there be a large tree growing on its 
bank. This tree they immediately set about gnawing down with 
their teeth, which is performed with astonishing speed and dex- 
terity. Other trees are then cut down in the same manner, 
higher up the stream, which they float down by water to the 
dam, where, having, with their teeth, cut off the branches, they 
place them upright against the large tree, which constitutes the 
foundation of the whole work. While some are thus busied in 
fixing the stakes, others are employed in collecting twigs, inter- 
weaving and twisting them into the jetty-work ; and a numerous 
party is occupied in collecting large quantities^of earth, stones 



THE BEAVER. 177 

clay, and other solid materials, which they place on that side of 
the piles next the stream. By these joint efforts, they construct 
a mound of great strength, and capable of supporting the pres- 
sure of a considerable weight of water. When there is a lake 
conveniently situated for their purpose, this Herculean work 
of constructing a mound is unnecessary ; and they never fail of 
choosing such a situation, if the face of the country afford them 
an opportunity. 

The mole being completed, their next care is the erection of 
their houses. These are built on piles, close to the edge of the 
water, and are generally of a form either circular or oval. They 
mostly consist of three stories, of which the first is below the 
level of the dam, and consequently full of water. The apart- 
ments are about four or five feet in diameter, and the walls about 
two feet thick, neatly plastered on the inside with clay. At the 
top the building is arched like an oven, and resembles a dome. 
These edifices are constructed with such solidity as to be im- 
penetrable to the heaviest rains, arid to defy the force of the most 
impetuous winds. Each house has two openings, one for an ex- 
cursion by land, the other for a ready entrance into the water, in 
order at once to render convenient the procuring of subsistence, 
and to facilitate the means of escape, in case of surprise. The 
number of houses in one of their settlements, is usually from 
fifteen to twenty-five. Each family has its own district, its own 
magazines, and its own habitation ; and no strangers are ever 
suffered to intrude. Each beaver has its own bed of moss, and 
each family its own horde of winter provision, which consists 
principally of the bark and boughs of trees. The latter they 
pile up with great regularity, and use it as their wants require. 
In the front of their houses, facing the water, they leave an open- 
ing, which serves as a window, and at the same time as a bal- 
cony, where they can sit and enjoy the fresh air. They spend a 
great part of the day in bathing, and almost always retain in the 
water an upright posture, their head and fore-parts not being 
often immersed. 

No predaceous animals dare attack the united republic of 
beavers, in their fortified settlements. Man is the only enemy 
they have to fear. Among themselves a profound peace always 
subsists, however numerous may be the inhabitants of their col- 
ony, which sometimes amount to three or four hundred. A com- 
mon series of toil strengthens their union : the conveniences 
which their joint efforts have procured, and the abundance of 
provisions which they have amassed, render them easy and happy 
in their respective families. Having moderate appetites, and en- 
tertaining an aversion to blood and carnage, they have neither 
inducements nor inclination to hostility and rapine ; but enjoy a 



178 THE BEAVER. 

tranquillity which it is a pity that human rapaciousness should 
ever disturb. This, however, is frequently done for the sake of 
their skins, and the drug called castorum, which is produced from 
this animal, and is found in a liquid state, in bags of skin about 
the size of an egg. This matter, when dried, is capable of pul- 
verization. It is of an oily nature, of a pungent bitter taste, and 
of a disagreeable smell, but of considerable use and efficacy in 
medicine. 

The skins of these animals vary in colour : in general they are 
of a chesnut brown, more or less dark, but the most valuable are 
black. These furs constitute a valuable article of commerce. 
Many thousands are annually imported into Europe from Ame- 
rica. In 1763, the Hudson Bay Company sold 54,670 beaver 
skins at one sale. 

The Indian hunters, lured by European commodities, explore 
the inmost recesses of the American continent, in order to dis- 
cover the retreats of these inoffensive animals, and procure as 
great a number of skins as possible, which they barter chiefly 
for the noxious articles of spirituous liquors, and tobacco. 

Commerce, like every thing else in this world, is productive 
of a mixture of good and evil. This is the case with all things 
here below. The ways of Divine Providence are inscrutable ; 
but, in all probability, this mysterious dispensation is designed to 
teach us that our present life is no more than a state of proba- 
tion, and to prevent our too ardent attachment to its temporary 
comforts and pleasures. 

The wonderful animal of which we have just been displaying 
the disposition and habits, is remarkable for the size and strength 
of its cutting teeth, which enable it to gnaw down trees of great 
magnitude, with incredible facility and despatch. It does not 
bear in its aspect any striking impression of superior saga- 
city ; its ears are short, and its nose blunt ; its fore-feet are 
small, but its hind-feet large and strong, with membranes con- 
necting the toes. Its length from nose to tail is generally about 
three feet : the tail is about eleven inches long, and three broad ; 
being nearly of an oval form, flat and covered with scales. This 
tail, so different from that of other quadrupeds, serves not only 
as a rudder to direct its motions in the water, but as a most use- 
ful instrument for laying on the clay in constructing and plaster- 
ing its habitations. The senses of the beaver are extremely 
acute ; its smelling in particular is so delicate, that it will not 
suffer any filth, or any thing of a disagreeable scent, to remain 
in, or near, its apartments. 

There are, at present, in the menagerie at Exeter 'Change, 
two male beavers, which are very tame, and will even suffer 
strangers to handle them. They frequently sit upright, to eat, or 



THE SEA-HORSE. 179 

to look about them, and often play with each other in a gay and 
frolicksome manner. If any thing moveable be put into their 
small apartment, they appear highly pleased, and drag it about, 
but have never been known to carry any thing about on their 
tails. They subsist principally on the bark of trees and bread 
but such is their propensity to gnaw timber, that they would soon 
eat their way out, if allowed the full range of a room. 

We have been somewhat particular in giving a description of 
this extraordinary animal and its astonishing works stupendous 
fabrics indeed they may be called, when we reflect on the sim- 
plicity of the means employed, and consider that their teeth, 
their feet, and their tails, are all the instruments which they use 
for the accomplishment of such great undertakings. The bea- 
ver, indeed, is a subject on which all zoologists have expatiated, 
and which exhibits a remarkable display of instinctive sagacity, 
worthy the attention of every mind that delights in contemplating 
the wonders of creation ; especially when we consider the regu- 
larity with which their works are carried on, and the order and 
discipline which pervade their societies. 

An overseer is always chosen among them, whose orders are 
punctually obeyed ; and a smart stroke with his tail upon the 
water, is his word of command, whenever the united force of 
numbers is necessary to be applied. The same signal is also 
used on the approach of an enemy, to warn the society of its 
danger. On such occasions, each beaver, as he thinks it expe- 
dient, either conceals himself in his habitation, or plunges into 
the water, and immediately disappears. 

Beavers are never found farther south than the thirtieth de- 
gree of latitude, but they are the most common from the fiftieth 
to the sixtieth, and much more numerous in the new than the old 
continent. They were known to the ancients, and the killing of 
them was forbidden by the religion of the Magi. t 

It may be asked, by what secret counsels are these animals 
moved to unanimity of design, by what power impelled to uni- 
formity of action ? They are guided by that Being who has regu- 
lated the propensities, the instincts, and operations, of all ani- 
mal existence ; the God of Nature is their unerring director. 

THE WALRUS, OR SEA-HORSE, 

Is an animal perfectly amphibious, and far more attached to 
the watery element, than the beaver. In its habits, indeed, it 
seems to approach nearer to the nature of fishes, than to that of 
quadrupeds, although naturalists have generally included it in 
the latter denomination. 

The sea-horse grows to a large size, and has sometimes been 
bund eighteen feet in length, and twelve in circumference at the 



180 THE SEAL. 

thickest part. Its upper jaw is armed with two large tusks, 
sometimes above two feet in length, and weighing from twelve to 
twenty pounds. These teeth, together with its fat, are what 
stamp a value on this animal, as they are equal to those of the 
elephant, in beauty and durability; and the fat of a well-grown 
sea-horse, is said to yield half a ton of oil, equal in goodness to 
that of the whale. 

The sea-horse is chiefly found in the northern seas. Great 
herds of them are sometimes seen basking on the shore, or 
sleeping on a field of ice. When alarmed, they throw themselves 
into the water with extreme precipitation. If wounded, they 
become bold and furious, and unite for their common defence. 
On these occasions, they will attack a boat, and attempt to sink 
it, by striking their teeth into its sides, bellowing at the same 
time in a most hideous manner. 

The following anecdote, related in " Hearne's Journey to the 
Northern Ocean," may, perhaps, be deemed worthy of atten- 
tion: "In the year 1766, some of the crew of a sloop sailing 
to trade with the Esquimaux, were attacked in their boat by a 
great number of walruses ; and notwithstanding every attempt 
to keep them off, a small one got in over the stern, and after 
looking at the men some time, again plunged into the water. 
Another of an enormous size then attempted to get in over the 
bow ; and every other means proving ineffectual to prevent such 
an intrusion, the bow-man put the muzzle of a loaded gun into 
the animal's mouth, and shot him dead. He immediately sunk, 
and the people reached their vessel just before his enraged com- 
panions were ready to make a fresh attack." 

This animal feeds on sea-weeds, and small fish. In climbing 
upon the rocks, and pieces of ice, it makes use of its teeth as 
hooks, to secure its hold, and then draws up its unwieldy body. 

The white bear is an implacable enemy to the sea-horse ; and 
dreadful conflicts are said to happen sometimes between them, 
in which the formidable tusks of the latter generally render it 
victorious. 

THE SEAL 

Is another amphibious animal, which seems to constitute one 
of the last steps of gradation between the race of quadrupeds 
and fishes, and which, although generally classed by naturalists 
among the former, appears to partake in a greater degree of the 
nature and habits of the latter. It is found, with some variation 
of species, in almost every quarter of the globe ; but chiefly 
abounds in the northern seas of Europe, Asia, and America, and 
in the unfrequented regions towards the south pole. 

The usual length of this animal is five or six feet. It is cover 



THE SEAL. 181 

ed with short hair of various colours, smooth and shining. It 
has five toes on each foot, which are armed with strong sharp 
claws, whereby it is enabled to clirnb the rocks, on which it de- 
lights to bask in the sun. On the unpeopled shores of the icy 
seas, under the arctic and antarctic circles, and still nearer to 
the poles, these animals may be seen by thousands on the rocks, 
or on the sandy beach. The female sits on her hind-legs while 
she suckles her young. The growth of seals is amazingly rapid, 
and the dam, after bringing them forth on the land, soon carries 
them with her into the sea, and teaches them to swim; when they 
are weary, she places them on her back. The old ones are very 
attentive to their young, which in their turn are docile and obe- 
dient. 

The flesh of the seal was formerly esteemed a delicacy, al- 
though now but seldom eaten. That it was once admitted to the 
tables of the great, is evident, from its constituting an article in 
the bill of fare of that sumptuous entertainment given by the 
Archbishop Neville, in the reign of Edward IV., though perhaps 
scarcely a peasant in the kingdom would at this day be willing 
to make it a part of his dinner. Such is the change of manners, 
such the influence of custom. 

If the flesh of this animal be fallen into disrepute, the oil pro- 
duced by its fat is perhaps held in higher estimation, and sought 
with greater avidity, than at the period alluded to, or in any of 
the preceding ages : a young seal yields above eight gallons of 
this oil. Their skins are also very valuable, and are made into a 
beautiful sort of leather, used for shoes and various other pur- 
poses, so that if the seal be no longer considered as a delicacy 
of the table, it forms an important article of trade. 

When taken young, these animals are capable of being tamed, 
and will even answer to a name like a dog. A seal was exhibited 
in London, in the year 1750, which would answer to its keeper's 
call, take food from his hand, stretch out its neck as if to salute 
him, and crawl in and out of the water at command. Another 
animal of the same species was so far domesticated, that though 
taken out to sea every day, and thrown in from a boat, it inva- 
riably swam after its master, and allowed itself to be retaken 
without any attempt to escape. When at home, it was generally 
kept in a vessel of salt water, but sometimes crawled about the 
house, and even approached the fire. 

There are, as already observed, several varieties of this ani- 
mal, of which the most remarkable are the Leonine and Ursine 
seals ; but these we shall, for brevity sake, omit, especially as 
their general characteristics and commercial importance are 
nearly the same. We shall therefore pass forward to the last 
tribe of quadrupeds, which we wish to recommend to notice. 

Q 



( 182 V 5 '' 



CHAPTER XXX. 
THIS BAT 



" Now all is hush'd, save where the weak-eyed bat, 

With short shrill shrieks, flits by on leathern wing." COLLINS. 

As the last described class of animals seems to connect the 
animal inhabitants of the earth with those of the seas, the tribe 
which we are now going to present to view, appears to join, in a 
similar manner, the former with the people of the air; so that 
between quadrupeds, fishes, and volatiles, there is no distinct in- 
terval, no chasm, in the long gradation of animal life. 

THE BAT 

Is distinguished from every other quadruped, by being furnish- 
ed with wings ; for which reason it is, by the peasants, generally 
ranked among volatiles, and some naturalists seem doubtful in 
what class of animal existence its station ought to be assigned. 
However, as it has all the characteristics of quadrupeds, Lin- 
na3us refers it to that class, to which indeed it is allied by its ex- 
ternal and internal structure, while its resemblance to the vola- 
tile race consists solely in the faculty of flying. 

THE COMMON BAT 

Is well known, and frequently seen in England, as well as in 
almost every part of Europe. It is somewhat less than a mouse, 
and the extent of the wings is seven or eight inches. These are 
only membranous webs, resembling thin leather, and extending 
from the fore-feet to the tail : the hind-feet have each five toes, 
armed with claws ; the body is covered with a very short and 
soft fur ; the eyes are very small, and the ears like those of a 
mouse, to which animal it bears no small resemblance in its gen- 
eral aspect, but is somewhat darker in colour: it has four cut- 
ting teeth in the upper, and six in the under jaw. 

About the end of summer, this creature retires to caves, old 
buildings, and hollow trees, where it remains during the winter. 
in a state of torpidity. Some of them cover themselves close 
with their wings, and suspend themselves by their hind-feet ; and 
others stick fast to old walls. 

Bats are capable of being tamed, to a certain degree. Mr. 
White informs us, that he was once much amused with the sight 
of a tame bat, which would take flies out of a person's hand, and 
adroitly tear off the wings, which it invariably rejected. When 
any thing was given it to eat, it brought its wings round before the 



THE TERNATE AND MADAGASCAR BAT. 183 

mouth, hovering and concealing its head, in the manner of birds 
of prey, when they feed. Insects seemed to constitute its favour- 
ite food, though it would accept raw flesh when offered. Our 
author saw it repeatedly confute the vulgar opinion, that bats, 
when on a plain surface, cannot easily get on the wing again. 
It sometimes ran with tolerable despatch, but in a most grotesque 
and ridiculous manner. 

Among the numerous varieties of this singular animal, are 
enumerated, the long-eared bat, the noctule, the pepistrelle, the 
balbastelle, the serotine, the horse-shoe bat, and a number of 
others. These we shall pass over in silence, as in this, like a 
multitude of other cases, it is scarcely possible to follow Nature 
in all her multiplied variety of forms. 

All the bats known in Europe, are perfectly inoffensive ; but 
in the tropical climates, they not only grow to a large size, but 
are of a more formidable nature. We shall give a concise de- 
scription of two of the most remarkable species. 

THE GREAT BAT OF TERNATE AND 
MADAGASCAR, 

Is about a foot long, and four feet in breadth, when its wings 
are expanded. It has large canine teeth, and the tongue point- 
ed : its nose is sharp, and its ears are large and naked. It has 
five toes on the hind-feet, armed with strong hooked claws : it 
has no tail, and its general colour is a dusky brown. 

These formidable creatures are extremely voracious, and 
sometimes assemble in such prodigious flocks as to darken the 
air; devouring indiscriminately every kind both of vegetable and 
animal food that lies in their way. Buffon imagines, that the an- 
cients borrowed from these creatures, their ideas of the harpies, 
and it must be acknowledged, that they correspond almost exactly 
with the description given by the poets, of those fabulous monsters; 
but that the ancients were acquainted with these animals, or with 
the countries where they are found, is extremely problematical. 
Like the fabulous harpies, their figure is uncouth, and their dis- 
position fierce and voracious. A hundred or two of them may 
sometimes be seen hanging on a tree, with their head downward, 
and their wings folded, in which manner they repose during the 
day ; but in the night they make a horrible noise in the forests. 
When young, they are eaten by the inhabitants of the countries 
where they are found, and are esteemed excellent food. 

This animal, to which Buffon gives the appellation of the 
Roussette, abounds in Madagascar and Ternate. It is also a 
native of Guinea, and, according to Captain Cook, and other 
discoverers, is found in most of the islands of the South Sea. 



184 THE VAMPYRE. 

THE VAMPYRE, OR SPECTRE BAT OF SOUTH 
AMERICA, 

Is a most formidable and dangerous creature, and although 
not remarkable either for size or strength, is the common pest of 
men and animals, in those parts where it abounds ; for it destroys 
every thing that has life, which it finds asleep and exposed to its 
attack. It sleeps in the day, and, according to Ulloa, comes 
abroad in the evening, when such multitudes make their appear- 
ance as to cover the towns and villages with a widely extended 
canopy. 

The vampyre is the most terrible and dexterous phlebotomist 
in Nature. Its nose is long, and has at the end a membrane of a 
conical form, somewhat resembling a horn^ but flexible, which 
not only gives it a hideous and disgusting aspect, but also fur- 
nishes it with a formidable and dangerous weapon, which it in- 
sinuates with inconceivable dexterity into the veins of any crea- 
ture it finds asleep, without giving it sufficient pain to awake it. 
It is therefore extremely dangerous to sleep abroad in the coun- 
tries where the vampyre is common, as it sucks the blood with 
such avidity, that persons attacked by it, frequently pass from a 
sound sleep to their eternal repose. 

Captain Stedman, during his stay in Surinam, was attacked 
in his sleep by a vampyre bat, as appears in the following extract 
from his narrative : " I cannot forbear," says the captain, " re- 
lating a singular circumstance respecting myself, viz. that on 
waking about four o'clock one morning in my hammock, I was 
extremely alarmed at finding myself weltering in congealed 
blood, without feeling any pain whatever. Having started up, I 
rang for the surgeon. The mystery, however, was, that I had 
been bitten by the vampyre, or spectre, of Guiana. Having ap- 
plied tobacco-ashes as the best remedy, and washed the gore 
from myself and my hammock, I observed several small heaps 
of concealed blood all round the place where I had lain, upon 
the ground ; on examining which, the surgeon judged that I had 
lost twelve or fourteen ounces during the night." 

The vampyre is equally destructive to animals, as to the hu- 
man race ; for, according to M. de Condamine, it has, in many 
parts of South America, destroyed all the cattle introduced into 
the country by the settlers from Europe. 

We have now exhibited to view, the most remarkable varieties 
of this curious species, which seem to link the quadruped with 
the volatile part of the creation. It would be useless, perhaps 
even impossible, to display all the distinguishing characteristics 
of the various tribes, which exist in every country, and are all 



CONCLUDING REFLECTIONS. 185 

discriminated from one another by some peculiarity of form or 
disposition. We have already seen, that of several kinds of ani- 
mals, especially those that are widely diffused, the varieties pro- 
duced by difference of soil arid climate, in conjunction with other 
circumstances, are innumerable, and baffle every effort of re- 
search. By this time, however, we have learned to observe, that 
amidst the infinitely diversified productions of creative power, 
various degrees of utility are not less conspicuous, than variety 
of form, and difference of faculties : composing one general and 
uniform plan, in every part of which, wisdom, order, and fitness, 
are eminently displayed. 

V 

CHAPTER XXXI. 
CONCLUDING REFLECTIONS. 

" Hail ! Source of Being ! universal soul 

Of heaven and earth ! Essential presence, hail ! 

To thee I bend the knee : to thee my thoughts 

Continual climb : who with a master-hand 

Hast the great whole into perfection touch'd 1" THOMSON. 

WE are now come to the conclusion of our survey of the won- 
drous works of the Deity, as displayed in the quadruped race , 
and it is with reluctance, we take leave of so beautiful, so varie- 
gated, and so magnificent a view. At the close of our excur- 
sions, however, let us not have to reproach ourselves with hav- 
ing uselessly rambled through so material a part of the immense 
fields of creation. The object of all physical research ought to 
be moral and intellectual improvement ; and indeed the study 
of Nature, as displayed in any part of the wondrous works of 
creation, exalting our admiration, is peculiarly adapted to in- 
flarne our love for the Architect of the universe, the self-existent 
Author of all existence. Our love of the Creator cannot, how- 
ever, be more appropriately displayed, than by the exercise of 
universal benevolence towards his creatures. This important 
moral truth we have every where endeavoured to inculcate ; and 
let it be impressed on the mind, and kept in memory, that 

u The poor beetle that we tread upon, 

In corporeal suffering feels a pang as great 

As when a giant dies." 

This effusion of poetry speaks no other language than that of 
accurate philosophy; for there is every reason to believe, that the 
sensations of many of the most diminutive insects are as ex 

Q 2 



186 CONCLUDING REFLECTIONS. 

quisite, and consequently their sufferings as acute, as those of 
larger animals. The writhings of the poor worm, on which we 
accidentally tread, evidently show the pangs which it feels, shock 
the heart that is endowed with sensibility, and force it to lament 
the step which fortuitously caused these sufferings. Horrible, 
however, to relate, parents too frequently indulge their children 
in the wanton sport of torturing poor insects in a manner at 
which humanity must shudder. Although this horrid propensity 
may, at that early period of life, be attributed to a want of re- 
flection, yet, if indulged, it may settle into a habit of cruelty, and 
render their hearts callous, not only to the sufferings of the brute 
creation, but to those of their own species. A parent, indeed, 
who encourages his child to torture a poor helpless insect, ought 
not to wonder if he afterward see him a murderer of his fellow- 
creature, which will very probably be the case, unless a want of 
courage, strength, or opportunity, prevent the exerciee of his 
cruelty, or the terrific dread of the gallows restrain his hands. 

" What more advance can mortals make in sin, 

So near perfection who with blood begin?" DRYDEN. 

The supreme court of judicature at Athens, to its eternal 
credit, punished a boy for putting out the eyes of a poor bird 
that unfortunately fell into his savage hands ; and parents and 
masters should never overlook an act of cruelty towards any 
thing that is endowed with life and sensation, however minute 
and contemptible it may seem. No creature is mean or insignifi- 
cant in the eyes of the Universal Parent, the Creator of all beings. 

" With Him, no high nor low, no great nor small 
He fills, he bounds, connects, and equals all." 

Great and little, important and mean, are relative terms, and 
distinctions of our own, which have no existence in the all-com- 
prising view of the Creator and Governor of the universe. 

The consideration that all the felicity of animals is confined to 
the short period of the present life, without any hope or com- 
pensation in a future state of existence, ought to be an additional 
inducement to treat them with compassion. We ought to ima- 
gine every inoffensive animal, which our wanton cruelty would 
deprive of existence, addressing us in the mouse's affecting pe- 
tition : 

" But if this transient gleam of light 

Be all of life we share, 
Let pity plead within thy breast, 

This little all to spare." 

These moral sentiments, so strongly inculcated by reason, are 
decidedly corroborated by religion, sanctified by scripture, and 



CONCLUDING REFLECTIONS. 187 

impressed by the discourse of Him from whom all scripture de- 
rives its authority, and all true religion its origin. The Re- 
deemer of mankind reminds us, that his Heavenly Father takes 
care to feed the ravens, and that the sparrows are not overlooked 
in the universality of his providence ; which is sufficient to con- 
vince us that we cannot, without offering a gross insult to the 
Creator and Sovereign of the world, wantonly ill-treat any of his 
creatures, all of which are objects of his parental solicitude. 

In the system of Nature, it is ordained, by an arrangement 
for which reasons have already been assigned, that animals 
should be conducive to the support of one another, and that all 
of them should be subservient to the interests of man, or at 
least subject to his reasonable will, although not to his wanton 
cruelty. When, therefore, we are obliged to kill any of them for 
our food, or to destroy for our safety such as are noxious, we 
ought to despatch them expeditiously, and render the pang of 
death as short and easy as possible. 

In contemplating the formation of the different animal beings 
which browse the herb, or range the forest, which climb the tree, 
or burrow in the earth, we see a perfect adaptation to the cir- 
cumstances of their existence. Their instincts, also, exactly cor- 
respond with their destination, and operate in a similar manner 
in every individual of the same species. This uniformity of in- 
stinct in each particular species of animals, which is so con- 
spicuous in a thousand instances, merits, in an eminent degree, 
the attention of the student of Nature ; as it exhibits the most 
unequivocal proof of a regular design and determinate plan in 
their formation, and evidently shows that the whole created sys- 
tem is the production of an intelligent and all-powerful Being, 

"Who spake the word, 

And Nature moved complete." 

Whether all animals were purposely created for the use and 
advantage of man, a theory which has long been doubted among 
philosophers, and is now almost entirely exploded, we shall not 
pretend to determine. When we consider their utility in furnish- 
ing us with food and raiment, and numberless conveniences and 
comforts, we cannot but suppose that this important purpose has 
entered into the design of the Creator, and formed a part of his 
universal plan. And this consideration, which forcibly impresses 
itself on the mind, and which appears to be unquestionably just, 
cannot fail of exalting our piety and gratitude, by exhibiting ex- 
tensive beneficence, acting in concert with infinite wisdom and 
power. 

Besides the subserviency of the animal creation to man, there 



188 CONCLUDING REFLECTIONS. 

can be no doubt that the happiness of the creatures themselves 
constituted a principal object in the view of the Author of Na- 
ture. It must, however, be acknowledged, that many animals 
exist of which we cannot perceive the utility. Many of them 
appear useless, and some of them noxious to man. Some of 
them likewise seem destitute of enjoyment, and incapable of hap- 
piness. But, are we able to penetrate into the secret recesses of 
Nature, to investigate the actions of every creature, to examine 
their consequences, and calculate how far they may be, if not 
directly and immediately, at least indirectly and ultimately, bene- 
ficial to our species ? Or, are we able exactly to estimate the 
felicity of animals, or to explore the whole circle of their plea- 
sures ? Hither our inquiries cannot reach. 

" Here the cloud 

So with eternal Providence, sits deep. 
Enough for us to know that this dark state, 
In wayward passions lost, and vain pursuits, 
This infancy of being, cannot prove 
The final issue of the works of God." 

In this present state of existence, the limitation of our facul- 
ties prevents us from fully comprehending the wonders of the 
creation; this grand prerogative, this sublime enjoyment, is cer- 
tainly reserved for rational beings, in a future and more happy 
state, when the mind, invigorated and expanded, having all its 
powers renovated and improved, shall be capable of boundless 
excursions, and of seeing the image of the Deity clearly re- 
flected from his works. 

In our present state of being, in which we see the mysteries 
of Nature and of Providence, as it were, but dimly through the veil 
that hangs before our eyes, Reason, that inestimable gift of the 
Divinity, is sufficiently illuminating to convince us, that we can 
only see by parts, and those parts but imperfectly; while the 
Supreme Intellect embraces in one comprehensive view the whole 
system of creation, and that whatever is the work of Infinite 
Wisdom, is destined to some useful and beneficial end. The 
lion and the tiger, which seem made only for annoyance, may 
have parts to act in the universal system highly beneficial to the 
whole, but of which we are totally ignorant ; and the mole, con- 
demned to a life of subterraneous darkness, apparently destitute 
of every source of enjoyment, may experience a degree of hap- 
piness suited to its nature, and of which we cannot form any 
conception. If we examine a complex piece of mechanism, and 
observe the regularity of its operations and movements, although 
we may not perhaps comprehend the utility of each part, and 
the particular action of each wheel or spring, yet in considering 



CONCLUDING REFLECTIONS. 189 

that from the motions of the whole machine, some great effect 
is produced, we shall readily conclude that none of its parts are 
useless. 

These observations, and a number of others, which naturally 
result from a survey of the animal kingdom, or other parts of 
the creation, have an evident tendency to improve the mind and 
meliorate the heart. They all concur to illuminate the under- 
standing, and to inspire the most exalted sentiments of morality 
and religion ; and to instruct the ignorant, to check presump- 
tion, and confound Atheism. 

The volume of Nature is the book of God, ever open to the 
eyes of mankind ; in contemplating any part of which, we every 
where view the reflection of his glory. All things, animate and 
inanimate, in perfect unison, and in language more emphatical 
than that of words, proclaim 

" THE HAND THAT MADE US IS DIVINE." 



THE END. 



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